


Some things kept hidden

by WinteryFall



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Wolverine (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Cabins, Canonical Character Death, Car Accidents, Character Bonding, Cold Weather, Daddy Issues, Detective Work, Donuts for Tony, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Funeral, Gen, Howard is a bad dad, Hugs, Logan is a good parent, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Bucky Barnes, Psychological Trauma, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Snowball Fight, Snowfall, Stan Lee Cameo, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, frostbites, protective Logan, protective parent Logan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 12:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 34,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11013441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinteryFall/pseuds/WinteryFall
Summary: Tony Stark, the young heir of Stark industries has his life twisted upside down when his parents are killed under suspicious circumstances. Fearing for his life, Tony's family friends chuck him off hiding into a remote area with a man he's never met, but turns out to be quite the friend Tony would honestly have needed in the past years.He also learns to not judge a book by it's cover; somebody who may seem scary can actually give you the best advice, at least in the case of Logan Howlett.





	1. The beginning of the end

He was in shock.

Everything sounded and felt kind of distant, apart from the blood thundering in his veins, and the static in his head. There were people around him, but Tony paid no mind to it; all he could focus was the chaos in his head. 

Rhodes was hustling him through the hungry press, asking questions about what had happened and why, gaining no answer from the young man. Eventually, he was shoved in to his limo, and they drove away in silence.

Rhodes kept watching him concerned; Tony had been like this, pale and blank-faced ever since he learned what had happened. They'd been supposed to get Tony out of his school before the news hungry media mobbed him, but alas they'd been a bit too late with Happy, the driver of the family. 

"How is he?" The driver asks, glancing at them concerned from his rear-view mirror.  
"Not good. I think he's in shock."  
"What should we do?"  
Rhodes sighs and rubs his eyes. 

"I don't know exactly to be honest; this happened so suddenly." The older African-American man examined the young boy with utter concern. It had been just a normal day, when he'd suddenly gotten a call to his base that the Starks had been in an accident. 

Rhodes did not know all the details, but from what he'd understood from the call he got from Jarvis, the family butler, was that he should go and get Tony off school ASAP.

"Let's bring him home for now, then." Happy concluded and drove them to the Stark Family estate. Luckily there were no reporters buzzing there, but Rhodes saw somebody else waiting for them.  
"Steve." The man greets the tall blond man as they get out of the car.

The man just nods and then hurries to the other side of the car, getting the shaken young man out of the vehicle. Steve Rogers was a family friend of Stark's who'd been on duty abroad for a couple of years, and had just recently returned home. He, like Rhodes was around his thirties and they had served in the same base for a while hence the man knew him well.

Tony had met Steve only a few times during his life so far, but seemed to like the older man enough to even give him dumb nicknames, like 'Captain America.'

It was apparently some sort of inside joke Rhodes did not get, and neither did anybody else.  
Steve helped the dark brown haired young man inside and made him sit on the couch. Tony did not say anything during this time, just trying to process what had happened.

They were gone.  
He'd said goodbye to his mum just three hours earlier, and now they were gone.  
The worst part was, Tony did not know how to feel; he did not feel sad or angry.   
He just felt numb.

"Oh thank god! I already saw a newscast from Tony's school and worried the media got him to their teeth." Jarvis exclaims as he enters in the room, checking on the young man instantly. The TV was on, recouping a story that he already knew.

'Earlier today, a bombing happened at a parking lot in the Stark Industries HQ, claiming the lives of the company head Howard Stark and his wife Maria. The bomb was most likely put on their car according to the security camera footage. Media has reached for their 23 year old son for comment, but so far he's denied any interviews."

"No fucking wonder, it's only been an hour!" Rhodes huffs at the Tv, and Steve turns it off with an irritated frown. 

"Oh God, I knew this would happen. There were signs somebody was after Howard, I warned him about this!" Jarvis babbles out, while still hovering nearby Tony almost if not knowing what to do.   
Tony's mind phased out again and he did not listen to the conversation. Instead, he curls up to the couch, facing the backrest.

He'd always known pops had a lot of enemies.  
Being a weapons manufacturer caused this, but he never thought...

Tony's behavior causes everybody in the room to pause their mumblings and turn to look at him.   
"Maybe we should discuss this elsewhere." Steve eventually comments with a small sad smile, gaining an agreeing nod from the two other males. 

They vacate the room a bit to give Tony space and Jarvis covers him with a blanket or two before following the two soldiers.

"Shit, I knew Howard rubbed people the wrong way, but this." Rhodes huffs, rubbing his eyes.  
"Do you think it was a revenge act, or something else?" Steve questions Jarvis, who seemed to have some sort of idea on the situation.

"I am not certain, but I got a warning message from the FBI earlier that somebody was targeting Howard; I did give him the message but he was used to getting those." The butler explains, glancing towards the living room Tony was in over and over.  
He could only imagine how the boy felt right now.

"They did not specify who or why?"  
"No; they just recommended him to accept surveillance and bodyguards, which he refused."  
"I'm pretty sure the FBI was keeping tabs on him anyway." Rhodes points out. 

"That aside, what about Tony?" Steve asks again, looking at Jarvis concerned. If this was just revenge against Howard Stark, Tony was not necessarily a target, but if it was something more...

"Well...technically he is of legal age to inherit the company, but I don't think Tony is ready for that, plus there are some legal matters." Jarvis admits with a sigh; Tony, while in his twenties, still had the mind of a kid sometimes. He did not always think before he acted, and generally did not know much about his dad's business.

"So who's gonna take care of the company if Tony can't?" Rhodes asks, making Jarvis shift uncomfortably.

"Obadiah Stane, Howard's business partner."

Both Steve and Rhodes frown in unison. They had met this man once during an anniversary celebration for the military they'd both attended - Steve reluctantly as he'd apparently rather spent that day quietly on his favorite place, whatever it was. Neither of them had liked Obadiah. He gave them bad vibes.

"You don't think..." Jarvis questions them both upon noticing their faces.   
Steve sighs and rubs his eyes.

"Either way, I don't feel safe leaving Tony here alone. You're an excellent butler and family friend Jarvis, but Tony needs a safer place to stay." Rhodes points out, looking at the butler apologizing.  
"But...we don't even know if Tony is being targeted too."  
The butler looks at the two unsure; out of all the people in the world, the only ones more protective over Tony Stark than him were these two soldiers. Rhodes had known Tony since he was a kid really, whereas Steve was a close friend of Howard and had always considered Howard's family part of his. He was fond of the young boy, even if Tony could be a pain in the ass for the blond man.

"Yeah, and I'd rather find out if he is before it happens." Rhodes points out harshly; he really hated this situation, not knowing exactly what was going on and why.

"I think Rhodes and I should stay here for now, up until the initial mess clears up, then we can form a proper plan. I'm off duty at the moment anyway, and I'm pretty sure General Ross doesn't wanna argue about this with us." Steve finally states with a half-smile, and the two men just nod, having nothing to argue against that.

 

It took Tony three hours to finally snap out of his strange trance-state, but when he did, the first thing Tony did was to walk to the dining hall the three men were having a conversation in, and just hug his butler tightly. Jarvis just wraps his arms around the shaking young man, returning the hug.

"Shhh. It's okay Tony, we're right here." 

Jarvis cursed Howard in his head - bless his soul - for not taking the warning he'd given more seriously.   
"So far there's no indication that Tony would be on the hit list based on the Intel I got, but I'd still bring him out of town for a while." Rhodes comments after finishing his phone-call, giving Tony a concerned look; he knew the young Stark had not exactly had a good relationship with his parents, so processing all this was probably really difficult to Tony. 

"Yes, we could go to the beach house at Malibu, Tony likes that place, don't you?"  
Jarvis proposes, gaining no proper answer from Tony, just an intangible mumble; he was clearly still sunken in his thoughts.

"As much as that sounds nice, I would not bring him to a place where he can be found so easily, if just for the media bothering him." Steve points out quietly, concerned eyes on the young Stark as well. 

He could understand the young man's feelings right now pretty well, for he'd lost his parents at a young age too, his dad even younger than what Tony was now, even if it wasn't something this dramatic. 

"Then where the hell should we bring him?" Rhodes questions the blond man, who hums and thinks for a moment.

"I...know a person. I doubt people would really expect Tony to be there, as he doesn't really know him."

Rhodes looked skeptical, predictably.  
"James, you know who I mean." Steve sighs with a smile, rolling his eyes at the African American male, who lifts eyebrow at that.

"Barnes? Really? Are you sure he's gonna just let some random kid to his place?"

"Tony is in his twenties, so technically he is not a kid. And Bucky is much nicer than he looks, you know it."

At this, Tony finally lifts his head and looks at them confused. 

"Who?"  
Steve gives the young man a warm smile, and gestures him to sit down.   
Tony eventually does, his face still rather blank.  
"Bucky is my friend; I've known him ever since we were kids. Literally, we met the first time when I was five, and he was six. He lives off the city so his place is quiet and could probably do good for you, up until the media storm settles down."  
Steve explains gently, brushing trough his hair. 

As Tony thought back, he could vaguely recall the name; Steve had mentioned this man a few times before, always in a fond, if not a bit sad manner. It always made Tony think that whatever happened to the guy was somehow Steve's fault, or at least he blamed himself for it in a typical Steve Rogers fashion.

"That's nice, but you do realize he's also a veteran suffering from PTSD?"   
Rhodes reminds the blond man, who sighs.  
"I know. But Bucky could do with some company, he's alone so much nowadays. Besides you know he's gentler than he appears."  
"I know that, but this is Tony we are talking about. What if he rubs Barnes the wrong way?"  
"He won't, I am sure of that."

 

After a long discussion, some phone calls and other hurdles Tony did not pay much attention to, he was heading in Steve's small blue car to the middle of nowhere with a lot of his stuff, feeling quite uneasy if he was honest.

He was still struggling with the whole concept of his parent's death and trying to figure out how to feel about it, and now he was being delieved to a random place to live with a guy he did not know, and who honestly sounded scary. Since his pops had dealt with military people a lot, Tony had caught glimpses of PTSD suffering ones, and the thought of living with one did not sound too good.

 

The only reason Tony was remotely comforted was the fact the guy was clearly important to Steve, and Tony generally had learned to trust the blond man's judgment; if Steve thought the guy was safe, he probably was, mostly.

"I'm sorry, this all is so sudden." Steve chats to him during their trip, not really expecting Tony to answer, which was fine.  
The blond man was aware that the young man always needed time to process big emotional things like this, so his silence did not alarm Steve as much as it would some other person who did not know him as well and only saw Tony for the smug talkative youngster he was.

"I promise you can come home as soon as we are confident you won't be a target as well. It probably won't be even that long, couple of weeks tops."

Tony just hums, watching the tree line flow past them absently.

"I'm just glad you weren't there too...when I first got the call from Jarvis, I thought you all had perished." There was a clear tightness to Steve's tone, and the quiet young male turns to look at Steve, who was clearly holding back tears himself. 

"....Why exactly does your buddy live in the middle of nowhere?"

Steve blinks, looking at Tony surprised, clearly having not expected him to say anything during their trip. The man then sighs and smiles as his gaze grows distant; they were passing by the edge of the small town they'd driven through, and now turned towards the more wooded area that had a lake in there somewhere.

"He... three years ago, he was caught and held prisoner for six months during an abroad mission. Bucky was so badly traumatized he had to drop off duty, and kind of do soul searching so to say. He gets tense around people, which is why he prefers to live further away from cities and such." 

Steve explains softly, his tone showcasing just how much he cared for this man. Tony rarely saw Steve Rogers looking this vulnerable, usually holding an aura of authority and certain level of mental strength; sort of like a role model to look up to. 

"M'sorry to hear that; I doubt he wants some sorry ass rich brat in his hair though."  
"Nah. Bucky's always been good with kids."  
"I'm not a kid though; I'm 23, just eight years younger than you." Tony points out, gaining a small chuckle from Steve.  
"You sure as hell act like one."

Tony manages to smile a bit; Steve rarely cursed out loud, mainly he let a word or two slip out of his mouth every now and then, and it was mainly if he was with Tony, or Sam, some other former Soldier dude he was friends with apparently. 

"My point is, he won't mind. Bucky's a good guy, if a little tense at first."  
Eventually, they arrive to a cabin nearby a lake. 

Tony could not stop but feel a little uncomfortable as he saw it; he was a city slicker trough and trough, so something this...countryside-ish was kind of unpleasant. 

It was an average looking cabin with two stores on the outside, and there was a small shed beside it. Steve parks in front of the shed and helps Tony out of the car, picking up his bag.  
"Before you ask, yes the place has Internet."

Tony huffs and rolls his eyes, but was secretly glad to hear that. 

As he gazes to the lake nearby, he had to admit the view was kind of pretty. There were forest covered mountains on the other side, alongside a small town. The weather was cloudy right now, but Tony could imagine the place looking like a postcard picture once it was sunny.

His attention was soon brought back towards the cabin however, as the door opens. 

The young man watches as Steve walks to the man who stepped out of the house, and hugs him tightly. Tony counted the time they hugged down to a second, and it was pretty damn long for a buddy hug; it made him think like the two had not seen each other in decades. 

Then, the two walk to Tony, and the young man felt his stomach twist a bit uncomfortably, and his mouth went dry once he saw the new guy properly.

The man who walked there with Steve had a chin length dark brown hair which was currently on a ponytail. His blue eyes had a level of weight and sharpness to them, which made Tony feel small. He could only imagine the kind of horrors he had gone through to earn such a look.

"Tony, this is Bucky. Buck, this is the young man I told you about."

Tony just stands there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. The blue eyes scan him from head to toe, and Tony could not stop his eyes from going on the man's bare left arm. 

Firstly, it was chilly, why the hell was the guy wearing a sleeveless black shirt?

Secondly, he had his entire left arm tattooed, white and red swirls and patterns on a black canvas. There was a red star on his shoulder, and some sort of words written around it; Tony could barely make out what it said. 'Till the end of the line,' or something like that. 

"Tony." Steve reminds him gently, and the young Stark offers his hand awkwardly.  
"Uh...hi. I'm Tony Stark."  
The man remains quiet, and then eventually raises his hand to hesitantly grasp Tony's. It sort of felt like he was worried he'd break the offered hand if he squeezed to hard. His touch was also pretty warm, a useless observation his brain made for some reason.

"James Barnes. Though most people call me Bucky."  
"Wait, you're a James too?"  
Bucky nods, a smile creeping to his face, instantly lessening the wolfish stare he had, as the smirk softened his features. Barnes also looked kind of handsome now that he had more life on his face, Tony had to be honest.

"Rhodey is a James too, though maybe you know him already. I mean, it would make sense given you both are soldiers and all..." Tony wanted to kick himself for babbling like that; he did so when he got nervous.

"Yes, I do know Rhodes." Bucky replies patiently.  
"So, you are fine with Tony staying here for a bit?" Steve questions his friend, who just nods, grabbing the bag Steve had.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for having a cute lil' maid around." Barnes actually laughs a bit and gives Tony a teasing smile, even if it felt a little forced. The young man huffs and crosses his arms, trying not to gain color to his face.

"I just hope you ain't afraid of Wolverines." He suddenly says cryptically, and Tony blinks, looking at Steve confused. The blond man just shrugs.  
"Bucky has an odd sense of humor." Steve comments casually, clearly knowing what Bucky was referring to, based on the small smile creeping upon his face. 

Tony did not know what to say to that.

The first observation Tony made was the fact the cabin was honestly much nicer on the inside than he expected. Every surface was rounded or soft, the white couch was big as well as the pillows; you could literally sink in it and not be found in days - and the bed on the upper level - as apparently it was not really two-store, just had the 'bedroom' on an elevated level - was pretty comfy and enormous too. 

The cabinets were white and light colored wood, overall the decoration was a mixture of light and wooden surfaces. It was...kind of cozy, honestly.

When he'd asked Steve about why everything in the cabin was so comfy-looking - there was even a giant armchair at one corner - Steve had told him Bucky preferred to keep everything as soft and comfy as possible in his home after the shit he went through.

The place was warmed by a fireplace mainly, but it did have electricity, which also was a plus. There was a small TV too, though based on the dust on the remotes, Barnes barely used it.   
The small bathroom that was accessed from the door on the right side of the stairwell was light blue and white and had a small bathtub and a shower, as well as the toilet seat. There weren't many things in there, but at least it was tidy.  
Bucky had put Tony's stuff on the cabinet that was under the stairs, leaning against the wall separating the small bathroom from the area beneath the bedroom-balcony. After that, he cleaned the small table there for Tony to put his laptop on. It was in the corner across from the cabinet with an overview to the lake, and due to the angle, sunlight would not really bother him there. 

"I hope you'll be comfortable here; it's not your mansion, but it's as good as a cabin can get with what Bucky and I could afford."

Tony glances at Steve, a question at the tip of his tongue, but decides not to ask.   
It wasn't his business really.

After a brief discussion between the two, Steve hugged his friend again, and then left, giving Tony one last wave.

He now stood there, in the middle of this cabin, looking at the man he barely knew in awkward silence. Bucky watches Steve's car drive away, then huffs and shakes his head, closing the door.

"I swear. He finds his way into trouble no matter what."

The man comments as he turns to Tony, gaining a noncommittal shrug from the younger male. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, the young billionaire decides to set up his laptop to have something to do. Barnes just rummages through his cabinets, and puts the kettle on, apparently making some coffee. 

He did not ask if Tony needed some, just brought him a cup with milk and sugar on it while Tony went through his stuff on his laptop, trying to figure out what to do.

The young man was a little surprised about the coffee, and Bucky gives him a smile.  
"Steve gave me a 'how to take care of a Tony Stark' instructions earlier when we discussed this."  
The younger male just nods and thanks him for the drink, unsure on what else to say.

It was like Steve to make sure his friend knew what to do with Tony, but still, it always felt kind of nice. 

For the next week or two, Tony spent getting used to the new environment. 

It was always really quiet, so it was a bit spooky, and Tony more often than not found himself listening to music with his headphones just to have some noise while he slept. He refused to think about the current crisis, because he was still having trouble in deciding how to feel about it.

Plus, Tony honestly did not want to break down in front of a stranger; last time things like this had happened, it had just earned him ridicule. 

Bucky did not comment to his music habit at all, instead he made sure Tony got a charger ready nearby him in case his player started to run out of power. He'd just casually placed it beside Tony's mattress pile one evening when the said battery had ran out, making Tony curse out loud.

The young man soon found out why Bucky hadn't been surprised about this music thing; he'd climbed up the other day to check the bedroom area out of curiosity, finding that there was an IPod with headphones on the nightstand, as well as a charger. 

Bucky would leave him coffee in the morning, while he headed out for somewhere, probably a walk as he was usually back an hour or two later, looking refreshed and in his thoughts.  
He'd then make them both breakfast, and Tony learned the man made pretty darn good bacon and eggs, and they'd mostly sit there and eat in silence.

Overall, the guy was pretty nice in Tony's eyes, making sure he had everything he needed to be comfortable in this new strange place; he even had Netflix on his TV so Tony could watch whatever shows and movies he wanted. It made Tony question just how 'poor' these two actually were, and if the man had a secret sugar daddy hiding somewhere.

It was not his business however, so Tony never asked.

Aside from this hospitality the man showcased, Tony could see hints about his past trauma here and there; at times Barnes would tense at random and just look around cautiously, often holding onto whatever was near him with a tight grip as he seemingly counted to ten in his head.  
Tony could also tell he was often awake at night, shifting around restlessly in his bed and sometimes coming downstairs quietly to just sit on the outside porch in his thoughts.   
The spacing out was rare, but it happened too. 

All this Tony could really deal with, as he would just keep his distance during these moments, letting the man work it out in his head by himself. It had been three years, and clearly Barnes knew at least somewhat how to deal with his issues. Tony could not really offer any help with this, having no experience, so he stayed out of the way just in case.

There was one thing that started to bother him overtime however; the man wasn't a talker, which was fine and understandable for Tony at first, but as time passed, the quietness between them started to get a little uncomfortable.

Tony was used to being more talkative with people, especially if he had to be around them 24/7. 

Sure, he had phone calls or webcam chats with Jarvis almost daily, as the butler kept checking to make sure he was okay, but majority of his days were now spent in silence, and it was starting to drive Tony crazy.

It was just that he did not know how to strike a conversation with this guy; he knew next to nothing about Bucky Barnes, and did not want to end up asking a question that would trigger his PTSD or something. Tony even contemplated on calling Steve and asking him some guidelines, but decided against it, feeling really dumb for needing help about something like this. 

Tony was known to be a smooth-talker dammit!

 

Then, one morning he gained the perfect excuse to finally chat with Barnes; a strange man appeared on Bucky's porch, and almost literally scared the living crap out of Tony, making him quickly hide behind the couch as he saw the man. Tony spent the next few tense minutes watching the stranger pace around a little, looking inside, and then heading to the small beach next to the cabin.

Bucky eventually returned from his walk, and a smirk crossed his face instantly as he saw Tony hiding behind the couch still.  
"What are you doing?"  
"There's a random guy on your yard, did you not see him?!"

Bucky stares at him baffled for a bit, then for Tony's surprise starts to laugh.   
His laugh was very genuine and warm; it reminded Tony of Steve a bit.

"Oh the guy who's currently standing on the lake edge smoking, wondering if I've started to kidnap rich brats for ransom? Do you perhaps mean that guy?" There was a teasing tone to his voice, making Tony's face gain color.

"I'm 23 for fuck's sake!" Tony protests immediately; he was a little sore about this age thing.   
Tony swore that his beard-growth was delayed for some reason, making him look younger than he was, and the young man was honestly kind of tired having people call him a kid because of this.

"That's the 'Wolverine' I was talking to you about. He's a neighbor." Bucky chuckles at Tony's annoyed glare as he pours some coffee to himself. The young male glares at him even as he comes out from his hide.

"How was I supposed to know that? I woke up and saw him sit on the porch as I came to the door, he just looked up at me - have you seen the guy's face by the way? He's scary as fuck - and I instantly went to hide. I thought it was some bloody murderer after me!"

Bucky just drinks his coffee, listening to Tony ramble with an amused smile still on his lips. 

"Logan's got a scary mug I know. But he ain't that bad. He's a dad you know."  
"Doesn't mean anything." Tony comments almost bitterly, knowing all too well it didn't; Howard had not been the worst dad there was, but he definitely wasn't the best. 

Bucky examines him for a moment, then opens his fridge and grabs a beer bottle from there.  
"It's fine. He's used to that reaction from people. Just don't say that murderer comment to his face; it's a touchy subject as his wife was pretty much murdered."

"Oh." Tony swallows down upon hearing the warning tone in Bucky's voice, who then heads out to bring the beer bottle for his scary looking neighbor. 

He watches from the window as the two men talk for a bit, the scary looking guy glancing towards the cabin with a frown, before returning his gaze to Bucky. Tony could not really understand how Barnes wasn't flinching under that stare at all. 

Perhaps he was used to it. 

After a while, Bucky walks back to the cabin and starts making breakfast. The grumpy looking Neighbor walks to the porch but doesn't come in, just sits down there and smokes his cigarette as he watches the lake.

"So uh...why's he here? If he's a parent, shouldn't he be at work or something, to provide for the kid and all?" Tony kind of wanted to ask about the murdered wife, but figured it would be inappropriate, so he settled for the next best thing.

"Logan's got a day off today as its Tuesday; he's a lumberjack and he's on shift from Thursday to Monday. His kid is at school right now." Bucky says simply.

Tony says nothing to that, just examines the man on the porch still uneasy.

He had a real messy brown hair - worse than the bed-hair Tony or even Bucky would get in the morning - a beard, and he was incredibly ripped under the leather jacket he wore open.   
Tony could imagine this guy rip people in half with his bare hands.  
Sure, lumberjacks were supposed to be strong - at least Tony thinks so - but holy shit this guy took it to the next level.

"He was also a soldier, serving in Afghanistan. We both were captured the same time, and Logan was the one who got us out."

"Oh." Tony blinks, a little surprised about the way the man had just started talking all of a sudden; he was so used to Barnes barely commenting anything, so having him suddenly chat like this was new.

It was also welcomed, honestly, even if the topic was causing him to want to pee his pants.

"Yeah. Kept saying he got a girl waiting for him back home so he couldn't go and drop dead. I first thought he meant his wife, but it was actually about his kid Laura."  
Bucky finishes the bacon and eggs, and puts some on Tony's plate. 

"Guy reaped through our captors like a bloody maniac. He would've probably died had I not provided cover when I got my hands on a rifle." Bucky keeps talking as he puts a portion up for himself and their guest, staring into thin air as he recalled the day. It felt a little like he was recounting an episode of a Tv series rather than a hellish experience if his own.

Tony had heard that some PTSD sufferers would do this disassociation thing, whatever it was; maybe that's what Barnes was doing right now.

"He was actually the one who helped me and Steve get this place for me, as a thank you for covering him back then; he knows the guy who owns the land around here and the estate, so he asked the old man to let me stay here as a tenant."

"And has the owner been happy with the way you handle the place?"  
"Yeah; he made an arrangement that I'll keep this place tidy and in order until I can get another place, and he covers me expenses. Xavier's a nice old man." Bucky smiles a bit, putting the pan away to the sink. Tony felt something nag at the back of his head; that name sounded familiar somehow, but he could not put a finger on it.   
"So, he basically pays you for living here?"  
"He pays me for keeping this place tidy, and watching after Logan a bit." Bucky corrects him calmly.

Before the young man can say anything to that, Tony felt his blood freeze a bit as the aforementioned man stepped into the cabin, having put down his cigarette outside. 

He was pretty tall, taller than both Barnes and him, and had even sharper eyes than the cabin owner - or tenant, Tony did not really know if Bucky owned the house or not.

It was hard to imagine him as a dad honestly, but somehow Tony also felt the kid was probably gonna be the safest they could be with this scary looking papa; he was maybe one of those overprotective daddies who'd do anything for their kid.  
Wow, the amount of bitterness Tony suddenly felt was almost embarrassing.

"You gotta stop gossiping about me behind my back, kid." He grunts at Bucky, though half-heartedly as he slumps to the chair opposite from Tony.

"I got good ears, don't forget that." He adds, gaining a smirk from Bucky.  
"I know that; they nicknamed you the Wolverine for a reason."  
"I doubt my good hearing was the reason behind that one."

Tony watches this bizarrely casual exchange in slight awe; Logan was every bit intimidating a man could be, the kind that came off as somebody who would have a seriously bad sense of humor and trigger-happy nature, yet he did not seem to mind or care the way Barnes was ribbing at him a bit. 

"So what's the exact deal with the kid? You said Rogers brought him here." Logan asks suddenly while eating his meal, nodding at Tony who instantly froze under the man's glare. It did not seem like he intended to look at the young man so harshly, he just seemed to have a natural alpha-male stare.

Yeah, maybe that's why he was so freaky to Tony; it was definitely the alpha-male vibe the guy gave. He had always found guys like that a tad scary.

"Some shit happened and they wanted him off the grid for a bit."  
Logan just nods seemingly satisfied with that answer.   
Okay, that was kind of nice; not bothering about business that wasn't his, Tony had to admit.  
He was more used to people being nosy and ask him details about his stuff, probably because he was often surrounded by reporters. 

"And I thought you two adopted or kidnapped some little brat to complete the family."

Bucky rolls eyes at the older man as he finishes his meal and drinks down rest of his now lukewarm coffee. He makes a face, clearly regretting that decision a bit, making Logan roll his eyes and smirk right back at Bucky.

Tony glanced at his host again too, feeling the question burn at the tip of his tongue again, but he was too unnerved by Logan's presence to say anything. Maybe later, he'll ask about it later.

"Nah. Steve says I'm enough of a kid as it is." The brunet comments casually with a shrug.  
"I can second that one."  
Bucky just laughs a bit.

 

The two men have a chat on the yard for a moment, before Logan heads back down the road, probably to the direction he came from. Tony watches him vanish out of sight, before opening his mouth.

"What's with the Wolverine thing?"  
"It's a nickname people gave him in the ring; he used to be a kick-boxer when he was younger. He was such a savage that he gained an alias."

"Why doesn't he freak you out? I swear I need a change of pants."

"I'm used to it." Bucky shrugs again, looking at Tony amused. Overall, he seemed to find Tony amusing a lot, and the young man did not know if he should be annoyed or glad about that; on one hand, it was good he wasn't being a bother, but on other hand, it was kind of irritating. 

"Are you and Steve dating?"

Tony's eyes widen as those words slip out of his mouth involuntarily and he mentally kicks himself for letting them slip out just like that; he'd meant to wait for a better opportunity rather than just blurting it out like this.

Bucky stares at him for a moment.  
Then, he laughs.

It was the brightest and loudest one Tony had heard so far, and it made his face gain color as well as his stomach flutter strangely. 

"Nah. I don't blame you for that conclusion though; you ain't the first to make that guess." Bucky snickers at him, poking his shoulder with his elbow. Tony rubs the spot, mumbling something under his breath.

"Steve n' I have always just been very physical about our affection. It's...hard to explain. Brothers-in-arms thing. We don't find it a big deal because we have always been like this, and feel like blood-brothers, but people often jump to conclusions about the way we act."

"That must be a pain in the ass." Tony comments, making Bucky pause for a moment.

"Sometimes. I mean, it's mostly funny, but it really annoys me when they start yelling bullshit at Steve because of it. Like, calling us names n' all. I don't care when they throw shit at me, but I hate seeing my best friend being treated like crap just because he might like the same gender."

"Does he though?"  
Tony asks, now genuinely curious.   
Bucky shrugs at that.  
"He's not dated in a while so who knows. It's not my business really."  
"I guess so. How about you?"  
Crap, he and his tendency to babble again.   
What was with him and his awkward questions right now? He used to be so suave.... 

Barnes just said stuff like that was nobody's business, yet here he was, asking about something so personal. Tony was surprised when he actually gained an answer.

"I don’t know at this point; I just…don’t like thinking about stuff like that when my head’s a beehive." Bucky comments softly, giving Tony a small, sad smile.

 

Just when he thought he'd be fine, it finally happens.   
His emotions finally catch up with him, and Tony finds himself waking up in the middle of the night into a feeling of utter panic.

For a moment all he could do was curl up into a ball and try to make the shaking stop.

He could hear the stairs creak, and soon enough there was a warm hand on his shoulder, and a quiet voice calling out his name. Tony is unable to answer with anything else but a whimper, so next he could feel strong arms bring him into a warm hug. Barnes pet his head gently, just rocking the younger sobbing male back and forth while he kept the gentle murmurs up, until Tony finally managed to calm down enough. 

Barnes says nothing, just leaves to go and put the kettle on, making some tea for him. Tony was not fond of tea, but he'd heard it could help to calm your nerves, so he accepted the cup regardless. 

The two just sat in silence as Tony drank it - it was surprisingly sweet, indicating Barnes had put a lot of honey in it - and the younger male was trying his best to calm his thoughts.   
"I guess it finally caught up, huh." Tony mumbles out, and the blue eyes shift to look at him in the darkness.

"Pops was never really the world's best dad material. I'm still not sure if I'm sad over him dying, or bitter that I'm not sad."

"How about your mom?" Barnes asks quietly, his tone neutral.  
"We got along. She tried her best; she was just busy like dad..."  
Tony pauses and swallows down hardly. 

"I just...I don't know. I don't really feel sad per say, and I feel bad about it. But the same time I do feel upset n' all, so I guess I do feel sad over this? I don't know." Tony babbles out gazing into thin air, not even sure himself what he was saying anymore.   
Hell, he did not really understand himself what was going on in his head right now.

"Shit, sorry. You did not sign up to be my psychologist. Pay no mind to what I say." Tony huffs and rubs his eyes, trying his hardest to not start breaking down again in front of the man.

He then jumps as a hand lands on his shoulder gently but firmly, and Tony looks up at the older male, who peered at him from the surrounding darkness.

"That ain't how I see it. I signed up to look after you for now. It includes listening to your sob-story." There was a hint of humor at his voice, but also an underlying sincerity.

Tony had never met a person who'd been this willing to just...listen to him.

Well, aside from Jarvis and Rhodey, but even they tended to try and give him advice or tell him to do this and that. Barnes was different; he was just lending an ear, not trying to tell Tony what he should and should not do. 

It was...refreshing.

"Yeah? Most people would dismiss mine as a rich brat being whiny; that's what they often do in fact." Tony sniffles with a small laugh, gaining a squeeze to his shoulder and a serious look from the man.

"There's nothing whiny 'bout mourning over a lost loved one. Whoever tells that to you is a fuckin' asshat." 

Again with the sincerity, Tony wasn't sure what to think about that.

The fact was that every time he ended up opening up too much about his home life to somebody that wasn't Rhodes or Jarvis, people would usually tell him to suck it up or that he had no reason to complain, he was rich, famous and had everything, and so on. Hell, even his dear old dad had done this; when Tony had a problem, instead of helping he'd told him to fuck off or to figure it out himself like a proper man. 

There was Steve too, but Tony had never truly opened up for the blond man; perhaps a part of him had always felt uneasy about it, given the fact the man was friends with his dad.

How, was always a big question for Tony, as Rogers was nothing like his dad.   
Perhaps Steve did not really know true Howard Stark.   
Not like Tony did. 

Overall, because of this, Tony had stopped trying to open up to people because of the cold responses he'd grown used to getting. A lot of times even Rhodes and Jarvis did not know what was going on with him, not really. 

Yet....there he was, a stranger technically that Tony barely knew, but this stranger did not care of his status and background, the fact he was a rich kid, nothing like that.  
He just saw a kid who'd lost his parents.

"Something on my face?" Barnes suddenly asks with a lift eyebrow, and Tony quickly turns his gaze away, realizing that he must have been staring.

"No. I just....I'm trying to figure out what you gain from being nice to me."  
"What makes you think I'm after something?"  
"Everybody always is; when people get close to me they tend to want something."  
"I doubt Steve, Rhodes or your butler are like that."  
"They aren't strangers."  
Tony looks up at him pointedly, and Barnes hums a little, turning his gaze to the window thoughtfully. 

"There ain't anything your money could buy me that I'd want." He finally says, turning his gaze back at the young male still holding his teacup. Tony blinks, confused about his choice of words.  
"If you're wondering why exactly I agreed to this - which I assume you are - no, it wasn't your money."

"Then what?" Tony was honestly curious; it could be just a favor for a friend like Steve, but the young man doubted doing this much as a favor to a friend was, well, too much.  
"Cause I know how it's like. Hiding your feelings or being unable to react the way you should."  
Tony just stares at him, and the man huffs, shaking his head.

"You ain't sad, not really; it's not that you don't want to be upset, you just...can't. Not the way they'd expect you to." Barnes explains softly, gazing out from the window again with a distant look.  
"So...you decided to take me in cause you think I'm fucked up in the head as much as you?"  
Tony bites his lip and mentally kicks himself instantly; that sounded way too harsh and inappropriate given the tidbits he knew about the man's past.   
Barnes did not get upset however, as he just hums with a slight smile.  
"Yes. Pretty much." 

Tony contemplates those words for a long time, even after he finishes his tea and Barnes heads back up to sleep. 

 

"Hey...What exactly happened to your buddy?"

The blond man blinks, surprised about Tony's question. They were having a video chat currently through the webcam, and since the brunet was away right now - he'd gone to the nearby small town for groceries - he'd decided to ask about this. 

Literally, anything was better than talking about the funeral arrangements. Tony was conflicted about going there, as he would probably not be able to mourn like he was supposed to. Plus, it seemed like his older friends still weren't sure if Tony was safe or not.

"Well....like I mentioned, he was captured and held prisoner for a while."

"I know that. I just...I was expecting him to be a tad scarier based on the descriptions given to me beforehand."

"And he's not scary at all to you?" Steve asks with lift eyebrow, actually sounding a little happy.

"Not really. He's...pretty cool dude I gotta admit. His neighbor is the scary one."

Steve laughs at that, and then rubs his eyes.  
"So you met Logan?"

"Scared the shit outta me; I needed a change of pants." Tony jokes half-assedly. Despite his nervousness, he had not wet his pants after all which was good.

"Yeah, he does that to people, did even before what he and Bucky went through."

Steve pauses for a moment, gazing aside as he recollected his thoughts.

"He was...different when they came back. Not scared or jumpy or anything, not in the kind of sense you'd think. Buck was just....quiet. He did not talk much anymore, and he was very serious and tense majority of the time. He even spaced out at times randomly."

There was a hint of pain and sorrow in Steve's voice, and boy did a large, Dorito shaped soldier dude with the best puppy eyes in the world manage to look sad. Tony almost expected him to droop his ears or something.

"I know the trauma is still there; I know he hides things from me, I know he still doesn't sleep well. I just...don't know how to approach it. I never went through anything traumatizing of this level."

"Maybe he should see a psychiatrist then." Tony points out the obvious, gaining a slight chuckle from Steve.

"He is, don't worry. I just wish...I wish he didn't feel like he needs to hide from me."

God, that sad puppy look was too much, and Tony sighs dramatically, holding his chest.

"I know this might seem sappy to you..." There is a slight bite to Steve's tone now, but Tony could tell he wasn't truly angry; Steve knew Tony's sense of humor was bratty sometimes.

"...But Bucky and I are like blood-brothers. We never hid things from each other before, not knowingly at least."

Ah. Tony could kind of understand where Steve was coming from now; he felt bad himself when he hid things from Jarvis or Rhodey. He had not done that before, not until he'd turned thirteen and started to see Howard for the shitty dad he was. 

Knowing when a loved one hid things from you probably sucked as bad.

"But enough about us; why did you want to know more about his past all of a sudden?"

"No reason. I was just curious that all." Tony comments with a shrug, not entirely lying. He had been curious, but his curiosity had been ignited by something specific.

"I see...well, there isn't much I can add to it as the only person who does know more is Bucky himself, and he hasn't told much to me even to this day."

Tony could understand that; it had to be a shitty experience if you had PTSD.   
"How are things going on your end?" He changes the subject, figuring he would not find out anything new about Barnes trough this route. Besides, he probably needed to know if he could go to the funeral or not.

"Hard to say; Rhodes has been looking into things, and we also got a lawyer involved now. Some stuff has come up but I can't say much as of now; the funeral is next week, but Rhodes is unsure on whenever it's safe to let you join in." There was a frown on Steve's face, indicating he was clearly concerned, but did not want to tell Tony too much.

"Alright, I honestly don't mind if I miss it. I uh...just don't feel like going there anyway. Just call me once I can come home; I miss my giant TV and king- sized bed."

Steve rolls his eyes, but there was a slight concerned frown on his face too, as Tony's words regarding to the funeral bothered him. He did not ask about it however, knowing that whatever reason Tony had to be so dismissive about it, the young man would not share if he did not want to. There was no point in pushing it.

The call ends just as Bucky enters back in the cabin, carrying some groceries.  
"Was that Steve?"  
"Yeah; the funeral's next week, and he told me to say hi."  
"Are you gonna go to it?" The brunet asks as he puts the food away.  
There was a box of donuts on the table too, and as Tony's eyes stared at them hungrily, the man smirks amused.

"Little bird told me you like 'em."

Tony said nothing to that, and instead answers his question.

"Well, it kind of sounded like it could be unsafe for me to show my pretty face there, so I'm guessing there is some stuff going down. I probably won't go."

It was conflicting to say that; Tony really did not know if he wanted to go or not, because he feared he would not be able to look mournful like he was supposed to. But...it was his parents.   
Even if he was never that close with them, they still were his parents.

Bucky just hums choosing not to question Tony about it further, and focuses on making them some coffee. He then sits down to the table, and pushes the donut box to Tony.

As the young man looks at him with a lift eyebrow, Bucky smirks a bit.  
"They're both for you: one before coffee, one with coffee."  
Tony cautiously opens the box, finding them to be his favorite flavor too. Steve really went out his way to give exact instructions to his buddy about Tony Stark feeding. 

"You really don't want one?"

"I prefer pancakes." The man says with a shrug.  
With a shrug, Tony grabs the first donut and eats it.  
Holy shit it was good; it was so good that he has to pause and just stare at it.

"Local bakery." Bucky answers simply, amused by his reaction.  
"Why are you spoiling me all of a sudden?"  
"Figured you needed that after last night."  
Tony says nothing to that and just watches him pour coffee from them both.

As he eats his second donut, the young man cannot stop but think about what had happened last night. The sudden rush of panic had come out of blue, and he still wasn't exactly sure what caused it. It did not feel like sadness over a loss in a traditional sense or anything. 

Then again, Tony had never lost anybody before this.   
He did not really know how it was supposed to feel like.

As these thoughts circled around his head, Barnes kept watching him quiet, and it started to bother Tony a lot. It reminded him of those times when Howard used to look at him judging, be it either for touching something he wasn't supposed to, partying too hard late at night or otherwise disappointing him. 

The young man almost expected the judgmental stare when he looked up, but all he got was a neutral look. The same one Barnes mostly wore throughout the day, apart from the amusement that crossed his features when Tony did or said something he found funny.

"Can you not stare at me while I try to eat?"   
Tony finally manages to tell him, and the man blinks, as if waking up from a trance.  
"It just...it's kinda unsettling." The young man adds, suddenly realizing that Barnes probably had not been looking at him, not really.

Bucky remains quiet, then nods, drinking his coffee and grimacing as it had gone cold again.  
"Shit, I gotta stop spacing out so much." He mutters, confirming Tony's thoughts, and puts the mug into microwave to re-heat it.

As the microwave beeps, Barnes grabs his re-heated one, and this time walks to the couch, opening the TV. Apparently he wasn't on a chatty mood again. Tony just shrugs at it and puts the empty box to the trash. 

 

Couple of days passed with nothing much happening again; Barnes went for his walks, stopped by at the town to get more food, while Tony spent most of his time indoors, fiddling with his laptop or watching TV bored; he had updates from Steve or Rhodes at times, but those calls had become short, indicating they were really busy with something. They kept asking him about the funeral, but Tony still had no answer regarding to it. 

He had not heard from Jarvis at all, which honestly saddened Tony a lot, though he kind of understood it. Jarvis had to deal with a lot of paperwork together with Stane right now, as his pops had named Jarvis as a person of responsibility regarding to this stuff if something happened to him.

Also, there was this tiny matter of Tony being unable to sleep very well anymore, but at least he wasn't panicking, at least not as much as the first time. Barnes never woke up to come down and check on him, though he had a feeling the man was perhaps listening, in case Tony's state would get worse. 

What made Tony think that was the fact Bucky seemed to pick up on his lack of sleep, as one day he suddenly proposed that Tony should join him for a walk.

"It can really do well for your mood and sleep." He explains, sounding like he was talking from experience. Tony was reluctant to do so, but the guy had gone so far for a young rich brat he barely knew, so he felt like he couldn't really refuse the offer.

So, there he was, wearing his warmest red and yellow hoodie seven in the morning, grumbling under his breath as he was tired and cold.

Bucky was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a blue jacket that hanged open and he seemed much more awake than Tony. Then again, this was his daily routine, so waking up early was obviously going to be easier for him.

They head down the road that Tony knows leads to a small town nearby Barnes does his groceries at, but instead of going there, they head to a smaller side path that soon goes up a hill, up until they could actually see Bucky's cabin and the lake from below.

"Come on; you're supposed to be younger than me." Barnes laughs as Tony was struggling to climb up the somewhat steep hill. The young man grumbles at him, but as he sees the scenery properly, Tony had to admit it was pretty. 

"Why aren't you cold?" Tony grumbles at him, and the man lifts an eyebrow.  
"It’s freezing out here, and you're wearing your jacket open with a sleeveless shirt!"  
Bucky just shrugs at that.  
"I'm used to cold."  
"Well I'm not!" Tony huffs tugging the hood on his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets to ward of the chilly air. 

Barnes reminds him of this being his own fault for choosing to dress up the way he did, but then he takes off his jacket - which stuns Tony to no end, how the hell was this guy fine with the chilly weather was a mystery - and gives it to Tony.

It was...warming, much warmer than his hoodie alone as it was warmed by Barnes' body heat already. 

After a moment of stunned silence, Tony slips his arms into the sleeves and closes the jacket properly. He then just stares at Bucky, who dares to look completely fine despite being bare-armed in this chilly fall weather. The older brunet then stuffs his hands into his pockets and turns to just watch the scenery for a while, seemingly sinking into his thoughts again, probably momentarily forgetting Tony was there with him.

Tony tries to follow his example, but his eyes keep drifting back to the man beside him.   
He'd been here for two weeks now, and he'd rarely seen Barnes this bare, as the man usually wore loose, baggy and comfy clothing that hid most of his frame, but now that he only wore a tight sleeveless sweatshirt, Tony was reminded once again this guy was a former soldier. 

He wasn't ripped to the max in an insane terminator-ish level like Logan was, but he was definitely lean and well built like Steve, if less Dorito-shaped. 

The tattoo on his left arm was honestly fascinating; criss-cross of symbols and words on a black canvas, sometimes including names Tony realized now. 

Overall, he was well-built, yet had a soft face and voice, giving off the same kind of sad puppy vibes as Steve sometimes did. His messy brown hair came off cute rather than shabby, and sometimes Tony wondered if the bed-hair look was intentional. 

"Hey, what's up with your tattoo?" He asks after a moment of silence, and Bucky blinks, clearly having forgotten Tony was there as he'd suspected. The man then smiles a bit, glancing at it.  
"M'arm was injured pretty badly back then. It still hurts at times and doesn't function as well as it should."

"So it's like a symbolic thing?"

"Yeah. There are some important names and phrases from the course of my life so far."

Bucky mutters brushing at the red star and the words around it almost reflexively.   
"So....what so they all mean exactly?" Tony asks, unable to hold back his curiosity. One day, Barnes would get tired of his questions for sure, but for now he seemed okay with answering to them.

"Well...the names are pretty obvious. Rebecca's my little sister." The man taps at the name above his left collarbone. Tony had not noticed before the tattoo actually reached over his shoulder.  
"W.C.Barnes's my mom." He taps at the name above the Rebecca one.

"So the one above it is your pops?"  
"Yeah." Bucky smiles at him a bit sadly.  
"How are they like?"

"Were. We lost 'em pretty soon. I was only eighteen when dad died; mum died sooner."  
"Oh." Tony felt bad for asking right now, but the man did not seem to mind at all.  
"They were...nice. Ma was a sweet lady, raised us both to try n' be good people. Me to be a gentleman and all. Dad was strict, but not unfair."

Tony felt a sting of jealousy and bitterness hit him, but he decided not to show it; he had no right to get pissy over somebody else seemingly having good family life when he didn't.   
It wasn't really their fault.

"This one's obvious." Bucky says, tapping the name beneath the star.   
Steven Grant Rogers.   
Tony huffs a bit; yes, that one was fucking obvious on whom it was. 

"The words above are actually somethin' I told Steve when we were young. When he thought he almost lost me back there..." Barnes pauses, his gaze growing distant again and he looks aside, seemingly trying to refocus himself. His breathing turned a little shaky, which was surprising; Tony had not seen a single sign of distress from the man before this. 

He was really good at holding up an act.   
Better than Tony and that was saying something.

"He said he kept thinkin' of these words for the entirety of six months. It was just something I said on a whim, never thought it was so important for him." Bucky manages to smile a bit shakily. 

Tony quickly moves on to ask about the other names there; he did not really want to upset the man, plus given the fact Steve's puppy eyes were on epic levels, and this guy HAD that level of puppyness in him naturally, Tony would probably die if Barnes went and broke down. 

"Wilson's a friend of mine n' Steve. Well, to be exact he's Steve's friend first and foremost, but he's helped me out a lot too, even if he's a dick." Bucky laughs almost fondly, indicating that while he labeled the guy a dick, their relationship was pretty good.

"And...How about that?" Tony asks, pointing at a female name. 

There were a lot less ladies named on his arm than Tony would have expected, given his looks.  
Bucky's eyes grow soft, and he brushes the name written across his lower arm.

"She was this girl I used to date in high school. Had a troubled family life, but she was always really strong." The fondness in the man's tone made it clear he held this girl in high regard even now.  
"What happened?"

"She got out and moved away across the country. We did not really intend to break up; we just grew apart so to say. She did contact me when she heard about what happened, but we both were past our romance stage at that point, but she's still friends with me."

"Oh."  
They just stand there in silence for a moment. 

"You're curious little shit, aren't you?" The man suddenly remarks, and Tony gives him a dull look.  
"If you want to insult me, be a bit more creative."

"Can't; Steve's the creative one. I just cook for him as he can't, and shoot things."

Tony could not stop but laugh at that; he was aware of Steve's inability to operate in a kitchen properly - he'd heard a lot about that from Rhodes alone - but then his brain registers the second part of the comment.

"Wait...shoot things?"  
Bucky goes a bit more serious again as he looks away.  
"I was a sniper."  
"Oh."  
Wow, his brain was clearly still asleep despite the crispy weather; Tony Stark had just given the clumsy answer of 'oh' twice today.

They stand there for another awkward moment, then suddenly Bucky turns his head sharply to another direction, and before Tony can even react, he runs down the path like he'd just noticed something.

Tony runs after him confused, almost stumbling to his feet as he went. 

There was another house at the end of the path, and Tony could now see what Barnes had spotted; a group of thugs were bothering a young girl at the yard. Based on her back bag, she'd been ready to go to school. There was a jeep on the yard too, probably belonging to the group of males. 

Tony quickly shifts to hide behind a tree, feeling that he probably should not be there right now.

 

As they notice Bucky, they turn their attention away from the girl whose arm they were grasping. Tony watches uneasily from his hide as Barnes slows down, and just paces rest of the way, until he's just a few meters away from the group.

"You her pops?" The leader, a blond man with black leather gloves and piercings ask.

Bucky just stuffs his hands into his pockets, looking at the man bored. Tony was surprised how calm he was; there were six of those guys, yet Barnes did not seem concerned one bit.  
Then again, as he glanced at the girl one of the thugs was holding, she did not seem that scared either, just glaring at the man holding her annoyed.

There was something familiar about the long dark haired girl, but Tony could not put his finger on it.  
"No, I'm not her dad. I recommend letting her go before her dad does show up though."   
The blond man - he seemed to be the leader - laughs and spreads his arms theatrically.

"What is one man gonna do against all of us?"

Tony watched concerned as the guy's lackeys began to slowly circle Barnes, and some of them clearly had knives hidden within their pockets.   
This could turn ugly, and Tony had no clue on what to do; he'd been in fights before, but never in such serious ones with criminal-looking dudes. 

The only reason he did not come out of his hide or grab his phone to call the police was the calm way Barnes stood, as if he was used to this.

"Laura, when will your dad come home?"  
The girl just shrugs, crossing her arms now free of anyone holding her.  
"Hmmh. Unfortunate. I'd rather not mess his lawn."   
The girl actually fucking snickers at that.  
What the hell was up with that little girl, and Barnes?   
Even the thugs seemed surprised by the lack of fear from the two, glancing between them cautiously.

"So then. Mind to tell me why are you bothering this fine young lady when she just wants to get her homework done so her pops won't bitch at her later about it?" Bucky asks casually, like he was having a chat with a friend. It was bizarre; sure Barnes seemed tough and all, but this seemed kind of crazy, what he was doing.

"The girl made Donald drop his beer and didn't even apologize." One of the guys points out, glaring at Laura who just shrugs, arms still crossed.   
"I am sorry that your friend has a shit grip on things."  
That made the group glare at Bucky angrily, and Tony felt his hand reach for his phone now; he should probably do something. 

Before he can however, one of the guys attacks Barnes, who simply sidesteps and then strikes him in the stomach with a strong right fist, knocking the guy against two of his buddies, making the whole trio stumble to the ground in a messy pile of leather and shitty attitude. 

This causes the fourth guy to pull out a knife, but Bucky swiftly kicks it off his arm and then grasps it, throwing the man to the ground and striking his elbow at his sternum, making the thug gasp for air. All his movements were so quick that you could barely register them properly, not until he was already done. For a sniper he was clearly adapted in close-combat too.

The trio had recovered quickly, but was now wary about the man, clearly not having expected that level of reflexes and strength. For Tony, it should have been obvious, but thugs like these weren't known for their intelligence.

Plus, Tony could tell they were kind of unnerved by how calm Barnes was, despite there being more of them than him. Tony had a feeling perhaps that was the purpose of his calm state, to intimidate and discourage these guys from getting too violent. 

Or maybe Barnes was just secretly crazy, and Tony had not noticed it before.

"A tough guy huh?" The blonde leader comments - the aforementioned Donald Tony guesses - glaring at Bucky clearly a little uncertain on what to do; he'd probably expected to rough up some kid a little and perhaps steal her money, not have some freakishly calm beef-cake appear and rough them up.

"Final warning, gather your buddies and get out." Bucky comments casually, brushing his hair.   
Tony watched in awe the way the brunet was somehow having a complete control over the situation despite him being alone.

Then, as he peeks from his hide further, suddenly an arm wraps around his neck, and Tony yelps in surprise. One of the thugs had actually left the scene when the small brawl had started, and snuck behind Tony.

Bucky's eyes widen, and he turns concerned instantly as he notices Tony's peril. The group catches on to this as the leader suddenly smirks, his face and posture going to a less guarded state.

"Well well; who'd have thought you had a little friend with you huh?"

Tony could feel a blade pressed against his throat, and he tried his hardest not to panic; his heartbeat was thundering in his ears, and his breathing was erratic.

"Not a wise choice to leave him unattended; doesn't look much of a fighter." The blond comments glancing at Tony dismissively. His group barks out a laugh, like a bunch of rabid dogs.

Bucky glares at the guy holding Tony for a second, clearly contemplating on if he should try and knock the fucker off the young male before he can be stopped by the others.   
Then, his expression shifts a little and Barnes sighs.  
"I did warn you dumbasses."

Before anybody could ask anything, the guy holding Tony gets violently yanked aside, the knife clattering to the ground from his hand as he gets one simple hit square to his face, drawing out blood as his nose breaks, and making him stumble to the ground.

Tony stumbles as well as the weight holding onto him vanishes, and stares up at the man standing tall beside him fist dripping with blood. Tony’s eyes widen as he recognizes who it is.

It was Logan.

And holy shit; if Tony had thought the man was scary he had not been prepared to see him angry like this. It was freaky as all hell.

Logan's eyes were glaring down at the group, his stare so intense it could burn a hole through someone's skull. He was huffing and puffing like an angry dragon, and as he spoke, there was a growling tone beneath the words, which made Tony want to crawl back into the bushes and hide. 

"Get the FUCK OUTTA MY YARD, punks." He growls, and then grabs the unconscious guy - holy shit his nose was broken from that one hit alone - and throws the limp guy at their friends, before marching towards them.

The blonde leader brings his hands up in a defensive manner as Logan grasps his collar, actually tugging the man off his feet.

"Hi daddy." The girl greets him casually with a smile, but the man just huffs at her, his focus on the squirming dude in front of him. 

"Woah mate, calm down there will ya?" The blonde stutters out nervously, gaining another one of those near animalistic growls from the clearly pissed off parent. Jesus, Logan was the scariest shit Tony had ever seen when angry.  
Sure, his pops had been scary too when mad, but in a different manner.

"Fuck. Off. Now." Logan hisses at the lanky guy, and then drops him to the ground.   
The group then carries their unconscious pal to the jeep and drive off hastily. 

"I did try to warn them." Bucky comments casually, gazing at Tony concerned as the young man stood up shakily.

"You coulda just have decked them." Logan snorts at Barnes, like dealing with a bunch of potentially armed thugs was an everyday occurrence for them both.  
"And mess your lawn? Hell no, I'm not stupid enough to piss you off." The brunet remarks, already walking towards Tony.  
Logan just grunts, then walks to his girl to check for any possible injuries or bruises, slight worry in his eyes, but the girl just smiles, telling him that she was fine.

Tony felt a pang in his chest; despite the man usually being kind of rough, the way he tended to his child was so...

Suddenly, there was an arm supporting him as he almost stumbles, and Tony loses it for a moment, the scariness of the previous situation sinking in just now. For a moment he just stands there, face hidden on Barnes' chest as he shivers and sobs quietly. 

"Easy there." The man comments quietly, petting Tony's hair while still holding an arm around him.  
"The kid okay?" Logan asks, holding his girl on his lap now.   
"Yeah; just a lil shaken."

The man just nods, grasping his daughter's bag and carrying them both inside.

"M'sorry Tony. I forgot again you were with me. I shoulda have told you to just go back to the cabin." Bucky murmurs to his ear, sounding really guilty. Tony did not really blame him or anything; during this whole time he had not really thought about going back himself, when he easily could have sneaked away the second he saw what was going on.

Then again, maybe he'd been spotted so soon that he couldn't have done that in the first place.  
After a moment, Tony finally calms down, having soaked Bucky's shirt completely. In this chilly air that must have been uncomfortable, so Tony mutters out a sniffling apology, but the man just smiles.

"Get in here before the kid has a proper meltdown. It's cold to curl up on the ground at this hour." Logan grunts from the cabin door, and gently, Bucky directs them in.

It was different from Bucky's kind of modernized simple cabin; Logan's cottage was more old fashioned with a lot of wooden textures and furniture. There were pictures on the walls, a lot of them about Laura, and some with Logan and a dark haired lady, probably Laura's dead mother.

Bucky makes Tony sit on the shabby red couch, and rubs his back a little.

The girl walks there cautiously, and looks up at Bucky with a questioning look.

"Tony's been through a lot recently, so that probably freaked him out. He's not used to this shit like us." Bucky explains calmly, not taking his eyes off from Tony who was still shaking a bit.   
The grumpy faced parent checks something on his phone, and then slumps to sit on the armchair beside the couch, lighting a cigarette.

Laura in turn plops to sit on the armrest of her dad's chair, seemingly not bothered by the cigarette smoke. She was probably too used to it. 

Tony almost wanted to comment on how it was probably bad for him to smoke near his kid, but he'd just seen a glimpse of what this guy could do, so he chose to stay silent instead.

It was a little bizarre moment honestly; Tony felt like he'd interrupted some sort of routine in the man's house, and now all three people around him were pausing from their daily lives to make sure he, practically a random young rich kid, would be okay.   
It was...strange, coming from people he did not know so well.

Rhodey, Jarvis and Steve would do this for him obviously, but having these three people - Steve's war-buddy who apparently had PTSD, a freakishly strong and scary pops with his freakishly fearless daughter - sit around him and wait for him to settle down despite probably having shit to do, it was weird.

"How'd you get the city slicker outta bed this early?"

Bucky laughs a bit, still focused on Tony as the younger male tried to stop his hands from shaking.  
"Rough nights, you know the drill; I recommended him to take a walk with me as it helps."  
"So now there are three of us." Logan concludes, blowing some smoke out, though making sure it did not hit Laura at all.

Tony wanted to ask about that comment, but he was still too intimidated by both, the man and the situation that just happened, so he focused on calming his thoughts instead. It was difficult as Logan's presence alone intimidated Tony so much, even if the man was relatively nice. 

In fact, the young male wasn't quite sure what it was about Logan that bothered him so much; he'd annoyed guys his size and scowl before. 

Maybe it was the fact he was a dad, unlike those previous cases?  
A good dad, looking at the way Laura was comfortable near him.  
.....He really did have daddy issues huh?

"Yeah. If I'd known this would happen, I would have waited for a later time of the day." Bucky mutters out, still petting Tony's back gently, eyes focused on him. There was an apologetic tone to his voice.

"I-It's okay. You would not have known." Tony manages to mutter out, glancing at Bucky with a sheepish smile.

"Still. I should have told you to go back."  
"To be honest, I wouldn't have; I'm too much of a curious little shit as you said."  
The brunet laughs a bit at that, though he still looked concerned. 

"Curious and dumb ain't the same thing kiddo."

Tony flinches and glances at Logan, who just blows some smoke out of his lungs. He did not sound particularly judgmental or anything as his tone was fairly neutral. Still, Tony felt like he'd done something wrong, and he really hated that feeling as it made him think of the disapproving gaze of his late pops. 

Laura was now sitting on her father's lap, examining Tony's face curiously. 

For a kid of her age - she was maybe fourteen tops - her gaze was already pretty intense.   
Like father like daughter huh?

"Nah, this' still on me; I should have told Tony to go back to the cabin. I'm just used to being out here alone that I forgot to do so." Bucky states casually, though he was still looking at Tony with a frown.

After a while, they have to head back to Bucky's place as Logan has to drive his girl to school and head out for work; it was Friday so he was on shift. The two males don't say anything during the walk back, but Tony could feel Barnes' concerned glance at him at times.

Once they enter back inside, Bucky puts the kettle on again. Only this time, he chooses to make them hot chocolate instead of coffee, figuring Tony needed something sweet after that scare.  
Tony says nothing and just accepts the cup, noting that it even had marshmallows in it.   
The guy had a weird diet at times.

He ate so much sweet stuff; pancakes, the sugary cereal, plums and milk to name a few. 

"Logan didn't mean to be rude or anything with that comment."   
Bucky mutters after a while, gazing at the empty TV screen as it was turned off.  
"Nah. I get what he meant."

"You...seemed really bothered by his comment." Bucky comments carefully, almost if sensing this particular topic was a sore issue to Tony.

The younger male remains quiet, drinking his hot cocoa for a bit.

"Dad used to scold or call me out on a lot of things. I'm used to being called dumb."  
"....Howard called you dumb?" There was a slight surprise in Bucky's face.  
"Nah, but he implied it a lot, saying that I never think before I act, and I refuse to learn from my mistakes, and that I repeat them." Tony's voice was getting shaky again.

Barnes remains quiet, but his hand slips to squeeze Tony's shoulder almost reflexively.  
"Old man always seemed to think I was a good-for-nothing lazy ass who'd never achieve anything in life. Never seemed interested on the stuff I did, never really..." Tony has to pause and rubs his eyes. He did not want to break down again, it was embarrassing.

".....You don't like it when people scold you, because you feel like you failed again with something." Bucky comments, and Tony looks at him almost startled. How had Barnes deduced it just from that? The man huffs and rolls his eyes at Tony.

"It's kind of obvious when I think of your reaction and what you just told me."

Tony just glares at him for a moment, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. He hated feeling like a failure; it was one of his biggest weak spots. He hated it even more when it was displayed for the entire world to see, or even just by one person. 

In short, Tony did not want anybody to know about his self-esteem issues.

"Stop glaring. You'll never beat Logan in death-stares." Bucky comments dryly, and Tony huffs, turning his face away. He honestly wanted to go and stalk to his computer, grab his headphones and dive into the world of Internet to ignore Barnes and rest of the real world for now.

"It's fine to be doubtful of yourself; I am almost every day."

"You don't act like it." Tony mutters out, still not looking at him.

"Neither do you most of the time." Barnes points out with lift eyebrow, and Tony bites his lip, unable to deny that.

"It's okay; we can be shit about ourselves together." He then comments almost cheerfully, making Tony look up at him, a snarky reply ready at the tip of his tongue. He closes his mouth however, upon witnessing Bucky's smile. 

It was nothing too special, the typical soft and warm smirk he often gave to Tony, but the honesty in it, no one had ever smiled at him like that. 

Not even Steve and Barnes was a lot like him.   
Or he was a lot like Barnes, hell if Tony even knew anymore.

"Just, you gotta know one thing." Barnes then says softly, looking down in his lap for a second.

"Whatever your pops may have said about you, it ain't true. Steve has told me a lot about you, and it takes a lot to have him think of somebody in such a positive manner as he thinks of you."

This both surprised, and unnerved Tony the same time; what the hell had Steve told Bucky exactly about him?

"In fact, I'm pretty sure that right now in the world, the only person who thinks you're a failure is you." 

Tony swallows down uneasily, just staring at the bright blue eyes.  
"How would you know?"  
"Because I think the same way about myself."

Tony lowers his gaze back to his drink, noting his hands were now shaking.

 

 

"So am I supposed to show up there or what?" Tony asks with a sigh.   
Rhodes had called this morning, informing him about the fact his parents funeral was tomorrow.

Based on what the man said, Tony could not figure out if he should be there or not.

"Stane has been asking after you over and over, he knows you're supposed to take over the company. He's been asking if he can take over while you 'recover from your trauma' as he put it. To do that, he'll need your signature to some papers because you are an adult, so legally he cannot do anything until he has your permission - unless the board votes against you, which might happen if you don't show up."

"That did not answer my question."

"Look. I know you might be reluctant about showing up, and granted, Steve is still concerned for your safety, as apparently the lawyer/investigator guy has found out some shady business going on behind the scenes. The fact is however, if you don't show your face here, most likely the board will vote you off the company."

"Why would that be bad?" Tony questions; he wasn't exactly enthusiastic on running his dad's company, the business the man seemed to love more than his son.

Rhodes is quiet for a moment at the other end, and then lowers his voice as he speaks.  
"Like I said. Shady business that might be linked to Stane. We don't want him to steer the world's largest weapons manufacturing business."

Tony rubs his eyes irritated. It was just like his pops to leave him with such a huge baggage, even after his death. Responsibility, old man sure liked to give him speeches about that while never taking responsibility over raising his own kid.

"I know you might be...reluctant to come, as you and Howard did not exactly get along..." Rhodes comments a bit warily, gaining a snort from Tony. 'Not getting along' was an understatement, but Rhodes did not truly know the true scope of things. 

"Look. I need to think about this."  
"You only got about 36 hours or so." Rhodes reminds him, making Tony groan and flop on his back to the couch. He remains quiet for a moment.

“I’m sorry I have to put you in this tough spot, but it is what it is.” Rhodes sighs, gaining an agreeing hum from Tony.

After few more words, the young man closes the chat just as Bucky comes back from his walk.

"How were the Howletts?" Tony asks, trying not to show his tenseness too much. Bucky just shrugs, brushing through his brown hair that honestly needed to be cut soon in Tony’s eyes if he wanted to be able to still see something. 

"Usual. Logan told me to stop spoiling you, which is rich coming from a man who gets his kid a new stuffed toy each time she sees a cute one she wants."  
"....what?"  
Bucky lets out a snicker as he gets himself some coffee.

"I mentioned him about your diet, and he was like 'are you planning to bloody eat that kid? If you keep this up he's not gonna fit out of the goddamn door!" The man says, imitating Logan's speech and grumpy face almost perfectly.

Tony blinks, staring at Bucky for a while.

Then, he bursts into laughter, unable to stop himself. He laughs so hard he drops the remote on his hand and almost falls of the couch. Bucky looks at him surprised about the reaction, but smiles too nevertheless. 

"Didn't know the guy had a sense of humor." Tony manages to wheeze out after a minute of uncontrollable laughter

"He wasn't really joking by the way."

Tony snickers, and then his expression drops a bit.   
Bucky turns worried instantly, and walks to sit down beside him, squeezing Tony's shoulder.

"Hey, what's up?" He asks softly, and the younger male has to avoid looking him into his pretty blue eyes as Tony was pretty sure his face would then give out too much. 

"....Why's he concerned over me? I'm just a random rich kid he doesn't really know."

Bucky remains quiet for a while, then actually brushes a hand through Tony's hair, making him freeze a bit for a moment. Bucky quickly pulls his hand back upon sensing the reaction. Tony feels bad about it instantly, not really meaning to tense like that, but says nothing.

"Logan doesn't like most rich kids, because they tend to be obnoxious." Bucky admits, gazing at his tattooed hand for a moment. 

"He knows who you are - you're pretty famous obviously - but he doesn't see a rich brat when he looks at you."

"Oh, then what does he see?" Tony asks quietly, wanting to suddenly sink underground. It was the feeling of being judged again, that feeling he really hated because it made him feel like a failure.   
"He sees a kid who's gone through some serious shit, and is struggling to keep it together."  
Tony looks up at Bucky, eyes wide like a frightened animal; he found it unnerving somebody could see through him so easily.

"He can tell, 'cause he's seen the way Laura tries to keep herself together when she misses her ma." Bucky explains gently upon noticing his slightly unnerved expression.  
"Oh..."  
"So, he says this stuff because he sympathizes. Yeah, he can be scary as fuck, not gonna lie, but he's...he has a soft spot for kids."

"I...I-I'm not a kid." Tony reminds him, his voice now shaky. Tony could feel his vision turn blurry, and he wipes his eyes, trying not to weep in front of Bucky. The man smiles a bit, tilting his head.  
"In his eyes you are. Everybody under thirty is considered a kid in his eyes."

Tony lifts an eyebrow at that.  
"Wait...he calls you a kid too."  
"Yeah?"  
"But...aren't you like...past thirty?"  
"He calls me that because we first met when I was younger; it's a habit that stuck." Bucky says with a shrug.   
Okay. That's...Tony did not even know how to respond to that.  
Normally he'd laugh probably, but he did not feel like it right now.

They sit there in silence for a while, as Bucky lets him recollect himself. Finally, Tony takes in a deep breath. Yeah, he had something more important to talk about; he could worry about the scary neighbor later.

"Rhodey called; my parents’ funeral is tomorrow."

"You gonna go?" Bucky asks, lifting an eyebrow. He places his non tattooed arm to rest on the backrest of the couch, and Tony keeps his gaze averted, not wanting to acknowledge how good he looked sitting mostly relaxed like that.   
"Why you are questioning that, I mean..."  
"Tony. I can tell you don't wanna go. I don't know exactly why, but you must have a good reason."  
The young man just stares at his hands for a while.

"I probably have to. I mean...it'd be weird if I didn't. And there's some stuff I need to do anyway."  
Bucky pauses for a moment, then a tattooed arm reaches for his shoulder again - Bucky had concluded touching Tony's shoulder did not make him turn tense - and manages to gain eye-contact.

"You need me to come with you?"  
Tony's heart skips a beat.  
Wait, why was he...  
"Uh..."

"I can tell this whole topic is making you a bit uncomfortable. Now I know your friends and Stevie are gonna be there too, but you know, in case you need more neutral company?"  
Tony just stares at him, not knowing how to reply.

Then, as he thinks about it, it's kind of a tempting idea. Sure, Rhodey, Jarvis and Steve would be there, but they all would probably fuss over Tony, and he really did not want that. Having Bucky there would probably help him to have some distance from them.

"You don't have to, really; I mean, you barely know my parents, right?"  
"True. I only spoke to Howard a couple of times." Bucky says with a shrug.   
Tony contemplates it for a moment, and then finally nods a bit.

"I...yeah. I guess. I mean, I probably wanna come back here ASAP anyway, preferably without having Steve or anybody else fuss over me on the way."  
Bucky just nods a bit. 

 

The weather was suitably rainy for the funeral. 

There were a lot of people, many whom Tony did not even know.   
He was wearing black like everybody else, mainly staying nearby Jarvis who held a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, but at times he'd look around for his roomate - that's probably the best way to describe it - who was hanging out with Steve. 

Bucky was also wearing black, his usually messy hair smoothed out and on a bun.   
It was the kind of hairstyle that rarely worked on men, but he looked pretty good with it. 

When their gazes met, Bucky would smile and nod at him; a small sign of acknowledgment, reminding Tony he was there, ready to leave whenever he needed it.

The guy actually had a bike on the shed, a pretty neat looking black Harley that Tony would love to tinker on, but he didn't dare to ask. Guys could be very possessive over their bikes, and the young man had a feeling Barnes was one of those guys.

They'd arrived to the graveyard early on, when there still weren't many people around. The weather had been better too, and right now Tony wished Bucky would have had a car instead, or that the rain would stop before they headed back, or the ride would be miserable.

As the service began, Tony just sat quietly next to Jarvis on the chairs arranged under the tent-like structure that had been draped above people to keep them from getting wet in the rain. Tony was very still, mostly avoiding people's gazes. 

It was a private funeral, but he knew all too well that there would be reporters somewhere nearby eventually. He wasn't really ready to deal with that just yet.

He looked up once Obadiah took the stage so to say, to give his mourning speech.

"Howard. A man of innovation, and a good sense of business. He was also a good friend of mine, which makes this loss quite a tragedy." He began, looking rightfully mournful. 

Jarvis lets out a small huff, and Tony looks up at his butler. It was clear Jarvis was not buying Obadiah's act. Tony wasn't exactly sure why, but he knew that majority of the doubts surrounding the situation was aimed towards Stane. 

"What's worse, this cruel attack had to claim the life of his wife too, leaving Tony alone into this harsh world. It's unjust to say the least."

Tony could feel gazes turn at him, and he feels his heartbeat raise; he wanted to hide so bad right now. Then, he feels a more familiar gaze at his back, and as he glances aside, he finds Barnes looking at him. The man kept his face serious, but there was that same warm glint to his eyes as he usually had when comforting Tony. 

It made him feel easier somehow.

"I can guarantee I make sure the company will stay in good hands, so Tony can mourn properly. It'd be unfair to throw him to the sharks, out in the open right now."

Tony just stares at his hands, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling creeping up his spine.   
"May the Starks rest in peace, knowing that their son is in good hands."

People clap, and he moves away, giving other people a chance to say something. Tony doesn't really pay attention, up until Steve takes the stand, holding the flowers to put on the grave like everybody else. 

His face was solemn and serious, but as he glances at Tony, there is warmth to his gaze. 

"Howard and I did not always see eye-to-eye, which probably explains a lot about how Tony and I disagree about almost everything."

There were smiles in the crowd, a bit of light in the sadness of the situation. 

"He was a good man, they both were good people. They were not perfect people, but good people nevertheless." 

Tony cannot stop but feel conflicted; yes. Mum was a good person.   
Dad....he was a good person, but he wasn't a good dad.

"I made a promise to find out what exactly happened - for their memory's sake, for Tony's sake - and I am intending to keep that promise. I won't rest until justice is served for this."  
The kind of determined, no-nonsense tone Steve was using was very familiar to Tony. It was a sign that indicated Steve would go through with this promise, no matter what.

As he puts the flowers down and goes back to his seat,   
Jarvis gets up for his speech. Tony tenses up and feels really exposed the second he's alone. 

Then, a warm hand lands on his shoulder, and he finds Bucky beside him. He just stands there, staying beside the now shaking boy the whole time Jarvis delivers his speech. He'd probably noticed Tony's distress and decided to come and support him.

Some people lift eyebrow at this, few even musing in confusion on who Barnes was, but Tony did not care. He was just glad the man was beside him.

As the service ends, most people head for the Stark-owned mansion nearby for the rest of the ceremony - food and everything - but Tony doesn't feel like going. 

He hadn't shed a single tear during the speeches, but now...he felt shaky and panicky, and he did not want to break down in front of so many people. 

Bucky seems to pick up on that, as he walks to Jarvis and Tony, asking the butler if he could chat with Tony alone for a bit. The butler is a little unsure at first, but Tony just nods at him, so the man heads after rest of the ceremony attendees. 

"You doing okay?" Bucky asks softly as Tony leans his palm against the nearby tree.  
"I feel a little sick, is that normal?"  
"....kind of. You look more frightened than sad to me though."  
"I kind of feel like panicking."  
Bucky places a hand on his back now face in a concerned frown.  
"Why?"  
"I don't know! I just...I don't want them to see me."

"....is it the crowd that bothers you? Or you don't want them to see you cry?"

"I don't know, both maybe." Tony chokes, and then turns on his heels, burying his face against the taller man's chest with a tiny whimper. Barnes brings his arms around Tony, petting his hair gently in a soothing motion.

"You might wanna go see a psychiatrist once this whole deal is over." Bucky comments after a moment of silence, gaining an intangible mess of syllables as an answer.   
"You're pretty tough for your size; you were able to hold out this whole ceremony." Bucky whispers quietly, petting his hair still. 

"But I shouldn't. Right? I'm supposed to cry. It's a funeral! Why do I need to hide it?"   
Tony muses more to himself than to Bucky.  
"You don't want people to think you're weak."  
Tony goes quiet; yeah, that made sense. He'd always hated doing this in public.   
Dad had always said crying was a sign of weakness.  
"I kind of wanna go back now."

Before Bucky can answer, a person approaches them. It's Stane.

"Tony! Finally. I've been so worried ever since they brought you somewhere." 

Tony freezes a bit, but forces himself to look at Stane. Bucky let’s go of him, but still holds a hand on the younger male's back. His face had gone blank, and Tony suddenly has a moment of deja vu; Bucky's expression was sort of like a tamer version of Logan's resting-bitch face.

"You could have told me; they refused to tell me where you were, I almost thought you'd been kidnapped!" The man pats his shoulder roughly, then glances at Bucky with a lift eyebrow.  
"I don't think we've met. Obadiah Stane, I was Howard's business partner and a friend as you probably could tell from my speech."

Bucky shakes his hand politely, but remains quiet.

"Since you've been sticking around Tony for this long, I'm guessing you're the one who's been watching after him."  
Bucky just nods, and Obadiah looks at Tony with lift eyebrow.  
"Not much a talker is he?"  
"Yeah." Tony says simply, managing to keep his voice stable.

"Well, I know this is a bad timing, but there are some things we may have to discuss about soon regarding to the company; I know you're mourning - we all are - but an organization as big as the Stark industries cannot be left without a leader for too long."

Tony feels his heartbeat raise again; this was the thing he had to deal with, what Rhodes and others were worried about.

"I am aware of that. I'd rather not discuss this today though." He manages to smile at the man, who nods.

"Give me a call once you can; don't wait for too long though, the board is getting restless. Not having a Stark leading the company would be a sacrilege!" The man laughs and then heads after the other guests.

"....He's a dick." Bucky concludes casually once the man is out if hearing range.

"Yeah...Steve and others think he has something to do with my parents death." Tony muses out, feeling really uneasy standing there in the open. The rain had stopped thankfully, but the air was cold.

"You wanna go back now?"  
"I...don't know. I think they expect me to say something during the dinner."  
Tony looked really lost right now, and felt like it too. He really didn't want to go, to show his tears to people he barely knew - one of them apparently being the potential murderer of his parents.  
"Then we leave right after, okay?" Bucky rubs his back encouragingly, and Tony releases a deep breath, and nods.

He had to do this, he wasn't weak dammit!

It had been difficult, but Tony had made it; he'd managed to say few nice, suitable words without breaking down too much, and after his speech, he and Bucky had driven off immediately, while Steve and Rhodes held back the press wanting to ask Tony questions, citing that he was not ready for it yet as he was still mourning.

Some tried to actually follow Bucky's bike, but the man shook them off easily.

Tony held onto him tightly as the man drove, noting that his driving skills were good, though he was also a pretty insane driver. Tony didn't mind it too much, he trusted the man to get them home safely, and he honestly enjoyed the speed. 

As they finally arrive to the familiar small town that was near Bucky's house, the weather had cleared, though it was also getting dark. Bucky stops at the nearby store to probably buy something he needed, while Tony stays outside, standing next to his bike. His mind still felt weighed, and he hated standing there alone, for all the people to see.

Nobody really paid Tony much attention, but he felt like dozens of eyes were secretly watching him, judging his every move, and it was driving him crazy. Once Barnes arrives back with a carton of milk and a box of donuts on his bag, Tony just sort of slumps against him involuntarily, hugging the man tightly. He was starting to shiver pretty badly, and his legs were giving away.

"Hey, hold on until we get back, okay?" A soft tone murmurs to his ear, and Tony manages to detach himself from Barnes and stabilize somewhat.

Once they finally arrive at Barnes' yard, the young billionaire tries to walk, but his legs fail him the second they touch the ground. He felt emotionally so exhausted, that he wanted to just curl up to the ground right there and cry. 

He did not know why exactly he felt this bad right now; perhaps the funeral really made the whole thing sink home finally; mum and dad were gone, they were never coming back.

Bucky doesn't say anything, and instead scoops Tony off the ground, startling the younger man a bit at first, but then Tony just settles into his lap, too tired to really complain. Not that he wanted, as it felt kind of nice being carried like this. Bucky was sort of like this protective big brother he’d never had.

The man brings Tony into the cabin, and actually manages to climb up the steep stairs carrying him, letting the younger male snuggle under the covers of his bed.

Tony had no clue why the man had chosen to bring him up there instead, but he did not complain. 

Bucky's bed was more comfortable, and he could really hide under the blankets and pillows all he wanted.   
Bucky watches him quietly for a while, then sighs and walks back downstairs.   
Tony needed space right now.

 

When Tony wakes up, he's having a bit of a headache. He can also hear quiet talking from downstairs. The young man soon recognizes the two voices discussing below; apparently Steve had driven there too later on.

Quietly, Tony focuses on listening to the two men talking.

"...I don't know Steve. He makes me think that there's a lot he hasn't told any of you."  
"Well, this whole situation was thrusted upon him, so it's no wonder if he's finding it hard to decide on how to react to it."

There is a sigh, and Tony could imagine Barnes rub his eyes in mild frustration.   
"That's not what I mean. Based on the tidbits I've seen and heard from Tony...I think it's more than just mourning."

"What do you think it is then?"  
There is a pause in the air. 

"....Steve, be honest. What did you think about Howard as a dad?"  
Tony felt his heart skip a beat, and his stomach clenches unpleasantly.   
Why were they discussing that now?  
".......I don't wish to speak ill of the dead..."

"Steve. Tony's got some sort of trauma, and no, it's not just this sudden loss. It's something more than that and you know it. You might be a simple person, but you ain't simple-minded!"  
There is a slumping sound with a soft thud, indicating that Steve or Bucky had sat down, probably on the couch.

"....I don't know. I guess....I thought Tony was just a party-animal like his dad used to be based on Maria's description. But....yeah. I have to admit; sometimes I felt that he wasn't happy. That the whole partying was just a way to...hide something from people."

"D'you think Rhodes and Jarvis know the details?"  
"I'm not sure...they probably do know more, but..." Steve lets out a sigh. 

"I feel....and I said this to him already, but once you get this whole bombing solved, Tony should seek therapy. Even Logan said he sees signs childhood trauma in Tony."  
"Really?" Steve asks, sounding surprised. 

"Yeah; you know we gotta be onto something if bloody Logan Howlett sees it. He knows how it's like."

Tony's heart was now racing a mile a minute, and he clutches the bedsheets, unsure on if he should just go downstairs and...He wasn't even sure what he was gonna do.

"....I'll talk to Jarvis about it. Maybe he can give more insight on this, because if it's true..." the blond man pauses, as it was quite obvious that something would have to be done for this.  
"You can try. I mean...people might not wanna talk about this stuff, even if it's a friend who wants to help asking."

"Yeah, you know all about that, don't you, Bucky?" There was a pointed tone to Steve's voice, and the brunet sighs, rolling his eyes.   
"Still...having doubts like that on top of this..." 

"Steve. Just focus on getting the bastard who did this. Logan n' I take care of Tony. Once this is done, you can focus on helping his personal troubles, alright?"  
There is a moment of silence, and then Steve sighs and lets out an agreeing hum.  
The two men chat for a bit longer, but Tony no longer pays attention.

There was silent panic rising in his throat, making him want to scream, but he forced himself to stay silent. He didn't want them to find out. Especially not Jarvis; yes, he knew some of it, but not all. If the butler would find out Tony had kept a lot from him too, he'd be heartbroken.   
He always thought Tony trusted him, and he did, but...  
Some stuff was just hard to talk about.

After a moment, footsteps walk up, and Tony closes his eyes, pretending to be asleep.  
A hand ghosts over his head, and then hesitantly brushes trough his hair.   
"It's been a rough month, huh?" Barnes whispers gently, further tugging him in, before rustling trough the cabinet next to the bed, getting something out of it and heading back downstairs. 

Tony did not intend to fall asleep again, but Barnes' bed was too comfy, and smelt a lot like its owner. Which mainly meant lots of crisp air, bits of Logan's cigarette smoke, the earthy smell of the cabin itself, and whatever sweet shampoo the man used. It had become this comforting smell to Tony, which signaled peace and quiet and tasty breakfasts.

As Tony walks downstairs, the blanket still draped around him like a cloak, he notes that Barnes was in the cabin still, despite it being 8:30. Usually he was on his walk around this time, not coming back up until around ten when Tony usually woke up.

There were pancakes with syrup ready on the table, as well as a fresh cup of coffee. It was almost like every other morning in the cabin, aside from the fact Tony woke up earlier.  
Bucky was currently washing the pan he'd used for making the breakfast, and greets Tony casually like every morning as he sits down.

There is a hidden tenseness in the air however, Tony could almost taste it. 

They eat in silence, but the young man can tell Barnes keeps glancing at him every now and then, face in a conflicted frown. Finally, Tony has had enough.

"He did not hit me in case you're wondering." He blurts out, almost startling the man.   
For a moment, there's an awkward silence in the air, then Tony just bursts, letting it all out to this man he'd only known for a month, but who'd been able to read through him so easily in so many occasions.

"He was never physically violent or anything. He was just never happy with me; he kept saying I was a failure, that I could never accomplish anything, that nothing I did was good enough for him." Tony spits out those words with a mixture of bitter rage and sorrow; he did not want to despise his own dad - no kid did really - but he honestly did.

That was the hardest thing; it was hard to admit that he hated his pops.

"I pretty much learned early on that I should not bother to even try and make him happy, because he would never be. That man was married to his job, and cared more about the company than his own family!"

Bucky just listens quietly, holding his coffee cup and sipping from it occasionally as Tony babbles out his story. 

"What's the point of even trying? Pops always made me feel like I should not bother. So I didn't. I just...since apparently I was a waste of space might as well act upon it because the only way he even paid me any attention was to get him mad at me!"

Tony huffs, and then rubs his eyes as the tears start again. 

He has to drop his fork and hide his face a bit, trying to just focus on breathing.

"If Stane wants the goddamn company, he can have it! I'm not worth running that anyway." He spits out, now trembling in silent anger and frustration.

Barnes still remains quiet, just examining him with those deep blue eyes, who'd seen more shit that Tony could ever imagine, and here he was, whining about his minuscule problems to a man who'd gone through an actual hell.

"S-sorry....I just...I really should not be complaining about this to you. You got bigger problems than my daddy issues could ever be."

Bucky opens his mouth to say something, but before he can, a frantic knock directs their attention to the door. It was Laura, and her eyes were rather wide. She was also panting heavily, as if she'd run over the hill to get to them as fast as she could.

Bucky quickly opens the door and asks her what's wrong.

"its daddy; those guys from earlier came back. They trashed the house and he's injured!"  
The brunet did not need any further words than that; he glances at Tony, who quickly abandons his breakfast and grabs a coat and shoes.

Yeah, he did not really have to go there, but...Logan had been kind of nice to him last time, in a weird way. 

 

The place looked pretty bad; the windows were trashed, the door off its hinges, and Logan's car had been smashed too. There were some bloodstains here and there, but Tony had a feeling a lot of it was from the thugs, as the man himself only had few cuts and apparently a twisted ankle. 

Laura was fussing over her dad, honestly more concerned than she should have been based on the minor injuries, but then again the situation had probably been scary to her.

Not to mention....Tony did not know exactly when, how or why the wife had been murdered as Bucky had said, but it must have been after Laura was born.

Yeah, that put her worry to a perspective. 

"Was it really the same group?" Bucky asks as he helps to tie up Logan's twisted leg - apparently he knew first aid thanks to being in the army - and the grumpy father grunts true to his nature. He was letting Laura hold his hand, probably knowing it calmed the girl down.

"Yeah. The same bleached mop with piercings. I was asleep when they showed up."  
"Is....is your kid okay?" Tony manages to stutter, and after a moment, Laura nods hesitantly.  
"I told her to stay back in her room; the bastards didn't manage to ransack the house completely because I didn't let them." There was a slight dark grin on his lips now, as he continues.

"Guess they did not believe the first time an old man like me can be tough."

"I can't imagine anybody being that dumb to not get it just by looking at you, but I guess that kind of people do exist." Tony comments, and then regrets his choice of words immediately; he did not want to really make it sound like Logan was scary.

He was to Tony, but it was kind of rude to say it like that.

"Some people don't pick up on cues." Logan shrugs, indicating that he wasn't offended the slightest.

"You might wanna avoid putting pressure on that for a couple of days. Might as well call in sick for your job."

Logan grunts and manages to get up, helped by Laura and Bucky. Tony just sort of stands there, unsure on what to do. He then hurries after them, noting that the kitchen and living room area was also a mess. Tony helps Bucky to push the couch back upright while Laura supports her dad - which was a feat given how much taller and heavier the man was - and Logan slumps down on it, cursing a bit as his twisted leg hurt.

"Laura, you have an ice-pack on the freezer right? Go get it." Bucky instructs the kid, but Tony volunteers to go instead, having suddenly a serious need of helping instead if standing there twiddling his thumbs.

"You gotta call the police about this now Logan. I know you hate doing it, but this is serious. Laura could have gotten hurt." Bucky says seriously, and the man glances at his daughter who's plastered herself on his side, holding onto his arm with widened eyes.   
Apparently, when it was about her the girl was brave, but when it was her daddy on the line, she got all wide eyed and freaked out.

Holy shit Tony's heart ached watching that, and the tug of jealousy from before appears again, but he ignores it and instead brings the ice-pack there to put it on Logan's leg. 

"Yeah, I know. I hate doing it, but those punks really went too far this time." The man mutters, still looking at his worried daughter, petting her hair gently.   
"H-how did you manage to drive them off by yourself?" Tony mumbles out, and the man turns his sharp glare at Tony.   
"I'm a bloody veteran, kid; I can fight."  
"I..uh..."

"There was a shotgun and a knife on the porch." Bucky answers more helpfully, and Tony has to go and see, and yes, there indeed was a shotgun that probably belonged to Logan clattered to the ground, as well as a slightly bloody knife. Tony could not even picture how things had gone down, and he did not want to know the details, honestly.

"Alright, get the first aid kit from the bathroom, I gotta patch these cuts up too or they'll infect."  
"I can do that shit myself Barnes."  
"Not all of these, you can't reach some of them."

For a moment the two just glare at each other, but eventually Logan gives in - probably due to the worried eyes that still stared up at him and the smaller hands clinging to his arm - and nods, letting go of Laura who gets the kit.

"Tony, could you bring Logan's phone? It's on the counter next to the door."

Tony walks there and indeed finds an ancient looking cellphone. He takes a second to scoff at it, but then obediently brings it to Bucky. He was helping, somehow, and it felt kind of nice. It was nice to feel like you were useful for something for once.

Without a word, Bucky dials the number and speaks to somebody on the phone, while Laura prepares the first aid kit.  
It then hit Tony that this felt like they'd done this before.   
"Barnes has patched me up twice before." Logan says simply, answering the unsaid question. 

Tony just swallows down nervously, nodding. Honestly, this was getting kind of ridiculous; why was he so intimidated by this guy? Logan had not been nasty to him, and his face wasn't THAT scary.  
"So, I called Xavier about this. I think its better you deal with the law enforcement with him, given how you might sometimes react to them." Bucky comments once he's done, and Logan nods a bit, muttering out a thanks.

The brunet then gets up and looks around.

"Well, we might as well tidy the place up a little, right?" He flashes an encouraging smile at Laura, who seemed to have calmed down now that her papa was patched up.

Tony did not like cleaning, but looking at the mess, he'd felt pretty douchey for not helping, so he obediently helps Laura and Bucky get rid of the glass shards, upturn furniture, and swipe the floor from the footprints left there. 

Tony had just finished putting the dining table chairs back in order, when he feels a chill travel down his spine, and realizes that Logan was looking at him pointedly. He then gestures Tony to come there, clearly having something to say. This made Tony think of the times his dad had given him such a look, ready to complain about something to him, or even yell.

It was nerve-wrecking, but he walks there nevertheless, trying not to clench his fists nervously.

"You're pretty damn tense for the Stark kid I've sometimes seen on TV." Logan says calmly, keeping his gaze on his girl through the open door as she helped Bucky to clean up the outside porch now.

"Yeah well. Can't party constantly, bad for your liver I keep being told." Tony says with a shrug, trying to keep his heartbeat calm.

"I know I got a scary mug, but I doubt it's just that." Logan's gaze shifts to him, and Tony kind of wants to sprint right now; what was with these soldier guys and them being able to see trough him?

"Yeah, well....it's this whole situation and all..."

"Kid. I'm gonna be honest with you now; you can't bullshit me. I can recognize a kid with parent-issues when I see one."

Tony felt like someone punched all air from his lungs, and he coughs, eyes widening a bit.  
Before he can say anything however, Logan huffs out a sigh and rubs his eyes, giving Tony a brief moment to recollect himself as those eyes aren't locked on him anymore.

"I get it; my dad was an asshole. A real piece of shit, he hit our mom and treated me like trash, while giving all the attention to my brother."

Tony blinks, unsure on why the man was suddenly telling him this. 

"It leaves it's marks, and you sometimes wonder if you should give a damn. Especially when they drop dead." Logan is gazing at his girl again, who was now seemingly just chatting with Bucky on the yard. Tony could not stop but wonder why they didn’t come back in already as the front was clear.

"There's something you need to realize, though." 

The sudden, almost soft tone causes Tony to look back at Logan, who still kept his gaze on Laura.  
"It doesn't fuckin' matter what they think. Not on the long run."

His gaze now shifts back to Tony, gaining back the usual edge a bit.

"Prove 'em wrong, but not for them, for yourself; you're a good kid, I can tell that much, and whatever bullshit your parents may have said about you, they clearly didn't know what the hell they were doing."

Tony remains quiet, his body completely still.

"I....don't know how. I don't...." Tony finally admits quietly, and oh it hurt to admit that.

He just...really didn't know how. Tony did not know how to deal with years of frustration, trauma and scars caused be shitty parenting, because yes dad, that's what it was. He'd never even tried to deal with it, just pushed it aside.

Logan snorts at that, almost smiling. It came off a wolfish grin more like a smile, but it counted.  
"Use the assets you got, kid; there are people in your life that have your back. Barnes for one is clearly fond of your sorry ass, and he did mention to me about Rogers and your mate n' butler."

"So...what about it?"

"Trust them for once. They ain't gonna belittle you for feeling like shit n' needing help. They're your friends; even I hate to admit it, but it's good to have people to fall back on." Logan glances at Laura, who was now looking back inside with a worried frown.

"By the end of the day, it's worth so much more than trying 'ta play the lone wolf and figure everything out by yourself." He adds with a softer tone again. 

Tony remains quiet, having no clue on what to say to that.

 

A car eventually comes to pick Logan and Laura up, and Tony spots a young girl with brown hair and white highlights sitting on the driver seat. She greets them with a warm smile and gives Laura a hug, exchanging few words with Bucky before leaving.

The two then walk back to Bucky's house, with Tony keeping his gaze on the ground. He doesn't say anything the whole way back and just slumps to the couch after getting rid of his jacket and shoes. His suit that he hadn't bothered to get rid of yesterday was now pretty dirty, but Tony did not care.

Bucky tidies up the table from their now cold breakfast leftovers before slumping to sit beside Tony, waiting for him to say something.

".....Did you ask him to talk to me?" Tony finally manages, and Bucky gives him a lopsided smile.  
"I only mentioned that you were having some difficulties due to issues he was familiar with. He kept asking why you always got so tense around him, because usually people have gotten used to his scary face by now."

"H-how does that relate to anything?"

"You're not scared of him, because he's strong and looks intimidating. You're scared, because he's a dad." Bucky explains which both does and doesn't make sense. 

"Because of the way Howard treated you, seeing a parent like him probably makes you want him to like you; Logan is scary yes, but he's a damn good dad, even if he doesn't always believe it himself."

Tony huffs, rubbing his eyes.  
"So now you are a psychologist?"  
"Am I wrong?"

The young male just stares at the floor, his eyes still blurry. Then, he shakes his head a little, smiling a bit sadly. "...Not exactly. I don't know why, I just...Jesus, what he told me, wish my ma or pops would have said, if just once. He's a damn good parent as you said."

A hand squeezes his shoulder again, and Tony glances at Bucky who was smiling at him encouragingly. His smiles were always so warm; it was hard to imagine this man had been dragged through hell. The only telltale sign was the bags under his eyes, as well as the weight in them, indication of inability to sleep properly.

"I figured Logan could perhaps come up with the words I can't; I may understand some bits about your situation, but he has the same kind of traumas as you; he sure as hell knows how it's like to have a downright shitty dad."

There is a moment of silence, then Tony suddenly moves closer and tugs Barnes into a hug, curling up against him as his shoulders shook. Bucky looks down at him a little surprised for a second, but then hugs the shivering young man, petting through his hair soothingly. 

"What Logan said it true Tony; you aren't alone. Steve and others are working their asses off to clear the mess the bombing caused, and I'm willing to do whatever I can to make this easier for you."

Tony sniffles a bit, holding onto the man tighter.   
"I...I know that. I just...shit."

Bucky lets out a slow sigh, and then shifts so that he's lying on the couch, having Tony cuddled up firmly on his lap, face still hidden against the taller man's shirt. 

“Hey, you’ll get through this mess, Tony. We got your back.”  
Bucky comments gently, still petting the messy dark brown hair.  
Tony just mumbles something incoherent against him.


	2. From Cold to Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things escalate as Tony's location is found by the bad guys.  
> Also, cold plays a big part with this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY this took so long to finish. After finishing the first one, I had ZERO ideas for the next one. absolutely no idea what to do. Since it was a while ago since I posted the first part, I might have forgotten to address some details from the last chapter I was supposed to in this one, so if that's the case, I'm sorry about that.
> 
> Also, WARNING: this chapter discusses briefly past suicidal tendencies regarding to a character. It's nothing big, but I figured I should really mention this here.

Tony stared out of the window baffled.  
Sure, it was late autumn, but snow at this time of the year?

Yet, that was exactly what covered the yard right now, inches and inches of snow. The weather had gone chilly over the last week, and now it had finally delivered the white blanket that covered everything.   
Bucky had explained it that because they were in the mountains, weather got chilly sooner.

It had been two weeks since the funeral, and Stane had kept asking after Tony about the business. Jarvis and Rhodes had both told him to not do anything just yet, so Tony had ignored Obadiah so far. He could not do this much longer though, Tony knew his dad's company was probably going haywire, and either he'd have to step in or let Stane take it - an option that apparently was out of question according to his support-trio at home. 

So, not knowing what else to do, Tony stared into the snowy scenery outside the cabin window.  
"Hey."

A hand squeezes his shoulder, and Tony looks up at Bucky, who smiled down at him with a hint of some sort of excitement. That surprised Tony, as the man rarely looked that eager to do something.

During the past few weeks, they'd finally began talking more with one another, and Bucky had actually started asking more casual questions about Tony, outside of his troublesome parenthood experiences. 

The younger male in turn began to be more curious about him as well, wanting to know more about the man than just the fact he had a PTSD and a wicked tattoo.   
The biggest revelation for Tony was the fact the guy was a total space-nerd, and eagerly listened to Tony's explanations and speeches about science and technology. How much he understood Tony had no idea, but it was nice to have somebody actually listen to his nerd-talk with enthusiasm.

Talking about that, Bucky was tugging him off the chair and his laptop enthusiastically, making Tony almost fall to the floor.  
"What?"  
"Come on, let's go out! It's snow."

"Snow is cold."  
Tony reminded him, gaining a laugh from Bucky, who lets him go and comes back a moment later with a proper winter coat, scarf and mittens.

"You can use mine to ward off the chilly air."   
There was a teasing tone to his voice, and in fact Barnes loved to taunt him about his sensitivity to cold. Tony wanted to protest and tell him to go and plop in the cold substance by himself, but as he looked at the man's brightened face and smile, Tony could not resist it; Bucky always had a warm smile for him, but this one was much brighter than ones before, almost childlike.

He'd feel heartless to ruin his fun, especially when Bucky clearly wanted to share this strange kind of joyous moment with Tony.

With a sigh, the younger male grabs the coat and other winter gear, tugging them on with a grumble. The older brunet laughs and ruffles his hair suddenly, a very big-brotherly gesture if Tony had ever seen one. 

And Tony had to admit: the longer he knew the man, the more he wished Bucky was his big brother or something, or at least had been around earlier.   
Despite his similarities with Steve, it was somehow easier to share with the brunet than with the strict-but-well-meaning Rogers.  
After tugging on boots three sizes too big, Tony stomps to the cold air, looking around bored. There were at least three to four inches of snow, and everything was so white. The edges of the lake had frozen over, but it was still mostly free of ice. 

After a moment, Bucky comes out as well wearing a black winter jacket with a fluffy collar on the hood, and a red scarf. Seriously, Tony could swear the guy's wardrobe consisted mainly of red, black and blue.

Well okay, he did have that one white sleeveless shirt, but still.

"Have you ever seen this much snow?" Bucky asks as he gazes up to the sky; it was still snowing slowly, tiny snowflakes floating down in almost slow-motion.

"I may be used to Malibu-climates and tropic, but it doesn't mean I'm completely clueless on this white stuff. Why do you think I wanted to stay inside?" Tony grumbles, and then yelps as something cold suddenly smashes on his face.

Bucky was looking at him with a smirk, holding another snowball in his hand.  
"Oh crap!"

Tony quickly runs away, but the former soldier has an excellent aim, landing another snowball square to his back. T  
he young billionaire huffs, and then grabs some snow himself.  
"Fine, two can play this game!"

Bucky dodges his shot easily, and for a moment the two focus completely on their little battle royale, using all the things on the yard to take cover behind for, namely trees, the shed, and the house.

Tony dodges a snowball and hides behind the said shed, sneaking to the other side and ready to surprise Bucky with his extra-large delivery. Once he peeks to the front yard however, the man was nowhere to be seen. For a moment Tony stands there a little confused, only to get a cold projectile square to the back of his neck.

He turns around in his heels with a yelp, finding Bucky standing few feet behind him with a snicker.  
Tony huffs, and shoves his snowball at the man's face. The older brunet doesn't even try to dodge, just wipes the cold stuff off his face and laughs. 

"Never should have agreed to play ball with a vet." Tony grumbles, crossing his arms.  
"You're on my home territory Tony; of course you were gonna lose!" Bucky comments with a smirk, and the younger male rolls his eyes at the man, grumbling some more. 

Suddenly, a snowball lands on Bucky's head, and he stumbles back surprised, looking at Tony who shrugs; he didn't throw it.  
Soon, they hear a snicker and see Laura peeking from behind a tree further away. She had returned with her dad last evening, apparently they'd figured it would be safe enough for the Howletts to return to their cabin. 

"Oh, hi there you sneaky lil kid." Bucky laughs, brushing the snow off his hair.  
Laura just hides again, clearly wanting to join in.  
"So...tag team or each fends for themselves?" Tony questions from Bucky, only to end up yelping again as a snowball lands to his arm.

"Obviously the latter." Bucky smirks at him, already grasping another one.  
So, Tony had no choice but to run like crazy.  
After a while, he was sitting on the porch panting, covered in snow.  
"That's unfair! You both are faster and know the place inside out!"

The two just snicker at him, and Tony kind of wants to smack them both with a shovel right now; not that he'd do that, especially not to Laura. He didn't have a bloody death wish.   
"But you gotta admit that was fun." Bucky remarks, and Tony pauses, actually thinking about it for a moment.

Yeah...it kind of was. 

He'd never been one for outdoor activities, but this had been...fun.   
"Still I say you two teaming against me is unfair!"

Bucky laughs, and then yelps as a snowball hits on his back, actually stumbling forward a bit.

The group looks up to find Logan standing further away, leaning on a crutch. His leg was apparently still not fully healed. He was wearing a dark grey jacket, hanging open for some reason, like the cold didn't bother him. He had another snowball in his hand and a wolfish grin on his face.

"Well, I can take care of these two brats if you want."  
Laura just laughs, but Bucky shakes his head, smiling a bit.

"No thanks; when you throw one, it actually hurts. I think I broke my spine."  
"Yet you're still walking."  
Tony watches a bit tensely as the man paces closer, ruffling his daughter's hair once she was within reach. 

"Uh....your leg?"  
Tony asks, and the man huffs with a shrug.

"Apparently there was a hair fracture. Gonna take a week more before I can get rid of this goddamn thing." Logan grunts, motioning to his crutch. Laura gives him a scolding look, and the man rolls his eyes.

"Yes mom. I will not try to put weight on it until it's healed."

Laura just crosses her arms.  
"Even when you aren't looking."

That seemed to satisfy the girl as she unfolds her arms, but she still peered at her dad a little.  
"So, how did it go?"  
Bucky asks after getting all of his quests something to drink - hot cocoa for Laura, coffee for him and Tony, and a rye whiskey for Logan. Tony had not realized Barnes had strong liquors on his cabinet, not until now.

"They'll put a warrant on the thugs' heads, though it seems they've skipped town already."  
"You did not get in trouble for shooting them?"

"Nah; they classified it as defense based on the evidence they got." Logan says with a shrug, drinking his whiskey. Bucky sighs, sounding almost relieved. Tony found it weird at first, but then as he thought about this, these two had gone through some sort of hellish experience together, so understandably Bucky would not want Logan to end up in some locked room again.  
"How's your city-slicker?"

Tony freezes; he still wasn't used to the fact this man actually cared enough to ask how Tony was doing.

"Well...he's feeling better than when he first came here. We haven't been able to contact a shrink yet for his issues as there's still something going on out in the big city."  
"You'd think they figured that shit out already."  
Bucky shrugs, drinking his coffee. 

"Stevie has kept me and Tony updated, but it seems they are still lacking some sort of key piece of evidence against Stane that would lock him up."  
Logan frowns, glancing at Tony.  
"So they really think that guy killed 'em?"

That question seemed to be aimed for them both; almost if Logan wanted to know Tony's thoughts about it.  
"Yeah. Apparently." Bucky muses, glancing at Tony with a side-glance too. The young man shifts uncomfortably, as it felt like both men wanted him to say something about it.   
Luckily, Laura distracts them as she suddenly looks at the clock, and then tugs at her dad's sleeve.

"What?" The man grunts, though affectionately. 

Yes, Logan could even showcase affection through his grumpy vocals; it was almost adorable in a weird way. Tony would never admit that out loud though.

"We need to get going; Rogue said she'd come see me today."   
"Fine fine." Her dad huffs and shakes his head, drinking down rest of his drink at one go.  
He then manages to get to his feet, and Bucky sees them out the door. 

"Is he gonna be okay?" Tony asks as they watch the two leave, and Bucky nods a bit.  
"Logan's gone through worse."

Obviously he had, Tony felt dumb for asking. 

Bucky seems to sense his sudden sour mood and smiles at him.  
"It's nice that you care. Logan's not used to it, especially not from rich kids like you."  
"You said yourself he doesn't see a rich kid with me."  
"He doesn't see an annoying rich kid to be exact."

Tony huffs and then walks to the couch, slumping down. He'd been on a fairly good mood earlier, but bringing up the whole situation at home caused him to start feeling uneasy again.   
Bucky slips down to sit beside him, and soon enough grabs the blanket on the backrest and throws it over Tony. The younger male cuddles into it and lies down to be more comfortable. 

"...I don't know what to think about it to be honest. Obadiah I mean. Yeah, never liked the guy much, he came off as a sleaze ball to me, but...I don't know."  
"You'd never expect someone within your circles to do something like that?" Bucky asks softly, body turned towards the young man while he rested his arm against the backrest. Tony just nods a bit, unable to really express it any better.

He really found it hard to believe; yeah, Stane was clearly cunning given his excellence and skill with business and corporation things - the reason daddy Stark had partnered with him - but Tony would have never thought of him as cold-blooded killer.  
Yet...the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. 

"I heard at some point, that pops was having disagreements with Stane on the company direction."

"You think that was his motive?"

"Maybe, wanting the whole place to himself; he never thought dad would leave the company to me instead."

"....Maybe he had more faith in you than you think, Tony." The older brunet mutters into his hair, and Tony huffs at him, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, right; thanks to that now everybody expects me to be the next target of assassination."  
"Well...nothing has happened yet honestly."

"Yeah, that's true." Tony mutters with a frown.  
If his life was targeted, why exactly nothing had happened yet?   
No threats, no people sneaking around aside from tiny Howlett girls, no nothing.

Yes, Barnes' cabin was out there and not a place Tony would normally go, but it wasn't that hidden.

"If it is Stane, maybe he figured he'll get the company from you easily as you did not seem eager to follow on your pops footsteps." Bucky contemplates, combing through his hair in his thoughts. 

"If I'm not giving him any answers soon though, he might change his mind." Tony comments and starts to feel dread seep into him. It was a very likely scenario, and he clutches the blanket tightly around himself now, feeling his body start to shake. The older male notices this instantly, and brings Tony into a firm hug, petting his hair now.  
"Hey, calm down. Chances are Stane doesn't know where the hell this place is; I doubt Steve would ever tell him."  
"But is he the only one who knows where you live?"

"From the people that Stane can get a hold of, yes. Even my sister doesn't know where I live exactly."

Tony looks up at Barnes surprised.  
"You haven't told even your siblings?"

Bucky shrugs a bit, averting his gaze.  
"I didn't want her to see me when I'm having a shit day."  
"....You've been doing fine as far as I've seen."  
Bucky manages to smile a bit.

"Yeah....been thinking of inviting her around sometime soon. I think I can handle it now."  
Something about the man's voice did not quite convince Tony, but he chose not to ask. 

 

The next night, Tony found out what had the man on the edge.  
He could hear Barnes trash around above, but it wasn't the same as usual. Bucky often slept restlessly, but this time it sounded like he was physically struggling with someone. Worried, Tony gets up and climbs the stairs, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.

His face was white, and Bucky was shifting around in the bed, muttering something frantic in his sleep. His left hand was grasping the bedsheets so tightly that he was actually tearing the canvas up, and he sounded heavily distressed.

Tony did not know what to do, so he just stood there for a moment, desperately wanting to help but not knowing what to do. Finally, he gathers enough courage to walk closer and tentatively reach for Bucky's shoulder to try and wake him up.  
That was a bad idea.

Suddenly, the man's eyes snap open, and the next thing he knew, Tony was thrown against the floor with a howl, and the impact knocks all the air out of his lungs.  
The man on the bed was sitting upright now, panting heavily, and he was blinking rapidly, as if he could not see properly. Then, when he finally seems to snap out of it, he looks at Tony and his face twists into horrified look.

"Oh God....M'so sorry..."

Tony just pushes himself up, still seeing stars somewhat, but manages to smile.  
"It's okay; I guess I should have expected that one."

Slowly, Bucky gets out of bed, and Tony now realizes the man slept without a shirt on and tried to not flush in this situation. Tentatively, Bucky helps him up and brings him to the bed, letting him sit down. He holds two fingers up, asking Tony how many he saw, and then tells him to follow one as he moves it.

"I'm fine, honest!" Tony tries to reassure the man, but he did feel a little nauseous, which could be a sign of concussion.

"Lie down." Bucky says simply, and Tony has no energy to protest, so he just lies down onto the warm bed, again surprised how soft it was. Bucky rustles the pillows a little to elevate Tony's head properly and make him lay more comfortably, before standing upright and brushing trough his hair with a sigh.  
"...Are you okay now?" Tony asks after a moment of silence, and Bucky nods a bit, stating that he was gonna go downstairs for a bit.

It was clear he wasn't okay, but Tony knew not to argue right now: the man had an expression of a deer caught in headlights, and his every muscle was really tense, straining under his skin. 

 

The next morning Tony noted he had a bruise on his cheek from night before, and Bucky still looked at him guilty. There was a huge pile of pancakes waiting for Tony, clearly an extra amount as an apology for last night.

They eat in silence, but eventually the young man gains the courage to ask.  
"What was it about?"

The older man remains quiet, poking his food with a fork. Normally Barnes would shuffle this stuff in his mouth at lightning speed, but he was clearly still shaken by his nightmare.  
"Nothing big, really; seen this one before."

Tony just nods and keeps eating; he sensed that this was all Bucky was going to share with him.   
"How's your head?" The man asks, examining Tony concerned. The young man shrugs, brushing the bruise on his cheek.  
"I'm good. I mean, I should have guessed that would happen given how much you trashed around."  
Bucky just hums, turning his gaze back at the food. 

"How much longer d'you think you'll have to stay?"

Tony feels his blood run cold a little as he hears that question, and upon noticing his expression Bucky shakes his head with a sad smile.  
"I'm not saying I want to get rid of you. It's just that I'm gonna have rough couple of days ahead, and I...well, I'd rather not have that happen again." Bucky nods at Tony's bruise, rubbing his neck uneasily.

"....So this is like a monthly thing or?"  
"....not monthly, but when I start havin' vivid dreams like that, it usually means I'm gonna be pretty on the edge for the next few days."

Tony frowns at that, understanding why Bucky was concerned now.  
"Can't you like, find a way to mellow it down or?"

"Yeah I got my stuff I can use, but it doesn't always work." Bucky comments softly, gazing into the distance for a moment. 

"Well...I can try and ask Rhodey about it today as he promised to call later on."  
Bucky just nods with a sigh, taking his half eaten pancakes, and throwing them in the trash. He clearly wasn't hungry right now.   
"When he was gonna call exactly?"

"Around the evening, why?"

Bucky hums, gazing outside for a moment. The weather was pretty good with sunny skies, though it was chilly.  
"We could go and spend some time in town today."

Tony blinks, surprised about Bucky's proposal, but he had to admit that sitting inside same four walls was getting boring.  
"Anything specific you wanna do?"

The older brunet hums, taking Tony's finished breakfast and putting the dishes to the sink.  
"Not exactly: but if you want we can go check the bakery out I got your donuts from. I'm pretty sure you'll like the stuff they have."  
Tony snorts at that, giving him a pointed look.

"You're just using me as an excuse to feed your sugar addiction."  
Bucky actually laughs a bit at that, and Tony was glad to see him relax.  
"...But seriously, I would love to see that, those donuts were godlike."

The older man rolls his eyes at the brunet, but then goes to get them some proper clothes for the chilly weather. 

It turns out, the small bakery was full of goods; the donuts had already been good, but Tony absolutely fell in love with the brownies, and after a brief chat Barnes had with the lady who seemed to own the shop, they gave Tony few extra pastries with an encouraging smile.

Tony had no idea what Bucky had said to her, but it didn't matter as he got bunch of brownies for free.

"You know the owner?" Tony asks as they sit on the bakery's cafeteria, and Barnes shrugs, clearly amused at the way he was munching down on the goodies.  
"Chatted with her a couple of times."

"She seemed quite fond of you." Tony points out; recalling the slightly blushing face the young woman had had when talking to Bucky. The man rubs his head, now looking a bit awkward.  
“I uh...I have a nag with being pretty good with women."

Tony cannot stop but laugh a bit, giving him a pointed look.  
"A smooth talker huh? I suppose I should have guessed that."

The waitress brings them their drinks - coffee for Bucky, and big, marshmallow filled hot chocolate for Tony - and she flashes a bright smile to Tony, telling him to enjoy it.  
"Seriously. What did you tell them?" Tony asks now, baffled about how awfully nice the shopkeepers were being. 

"I just mentioned that you'd recently lost a loved one. That's all." Bucky shrugs, and then looks at Tony with an uncertain look, but the younger male shakes his head; he wasn't bothered by it honestly.

"A lot of folks are nice in this place. Then again, given the Town's head it's no surprise."  
Tony hums, and grabs the steaming hot cocoa mug.   
"Head? Who's he?"

Bucky smirks a bit, drinking his coffee now too.  
"The guy I mentioned; Charles Xavier."  
Tony pauses, and then puts his mug down abruptly, staring at Bucky.  
So that's why the name was so familiar to him.   
Tony had actually met the bald old man a while back in a charity event, where he'd even mentioned that he was a mayor for a small town.

"You got financial backing from the town head?"

Bucky lifts eyebrow, clearly highly amused by his reaction.  
"To be exact, he runs a school for gifted youngsters, owns real-estate, and does charity business. The mayor part was more recent job."

Still. Tony cannot stop but feel a little impressed.  
"That's one good sugar daddy I gotta admit."  
Bucky snorts at him, shaking his head.

"Like I said; it's not for free. M'looking after the cabin and Logan."  
"Yeah, you mentioned that earlier." Tony comments, while drinking his hot chocolate. It was heavenly, like the brownies. 

"....Why look after the old man though? He seems to handle himself just fine."  
Bucky pauses and lowers his cup back to the table, gazing out from the window for a moment. It was snowing slowly, bits of white fluff drifting down from the skies in near slow-motion.

"The thing with his wife...it hit him hard. The reason he deployed overseas because he had a kid was..." Bucky pauses with a frown, as if trying to find a best way to explain it. Tony quickly rushes to say he didn't have to explain it as it wasn't really Tony's business, but the man shakes his head, giving him a smile.  
"It's fine. Logan doesn't really care if I tell you."

He pauses and hums a bit, drinking his coffee again.  
"He....I guess he wanted to run from it. From facing the sorrow and all that stuff."  
"Where was Laura during this time?"

"Stayed at Xavier's school. She didn't really understand why her dad left her like that...Logan still carries immense guilt over the whole thing." There was a sad tone in Bucky's voice as he turns to look at Tony. 

"I always got the vibe from him that he didn't wanna go back; wanted to die on duty so to say."

Oh.  
Wow, that sounded really bad.  
"He was...suicidal?"

Bucky nods a bit, gazing at his mug.

"But...earlier. You told me that he'd been keen on getting home from...you know, where you guys were being kept. You said he wanted to come back for his girl."  
Bucky hums, giving him an apologetic smile.  
"I wasn't lying; I just left some details out of it."

The brunet sighs, brushing through his long hair before he continues his story.

"Then when we got captured...I don't know. I just got sick of the whole thing, his attitude and everything. He'd told us about his kid, and I sort of yelled at his face for doing this to Laura; based on how he talked about her, he clearly loved her dearly."

Bucky's eyes grow distant again as he speaks. It was almost if he was reciting a story he'd heard long time ago, rather than witnessed first-hand.  
"I'm not sure what about my words made him rethink, but after that moment he began to fight back, to try and survive to get home."  
Tony remains quiet, not knowing what to say to that.

"Once we got home...never seen a big man cry so much; or to be exact, never seen him weep that bad when he hugged his kid."  
There's a slight smile on his lips now, as he recalls the moment the Howlett's had reunited.   
"So...Xavier asked you to watch after him because...he's worried that the old man might go suicidal again?"  
Bucky nods a bit, his gaze drifting at Tony.

"He's not expecting me to be a therapist or anything - no way in hell when I need one myself - but in his eyes, my friendship helps Logan stay grounded when he's seriously having a shit day."

Bucky pauses, and then flashes a smile at Tony.  
"Sort of like you help us both."

The younger male blinks, surprised about that, and Bucky lets out a small laugh, elaborating his words.

"I can tell that having you around has lifted his spirits too; another kid who's gone through shit that he can perhaps help and prevent from doing the mistakes he did."  
"He already had Laura." Tony points out.

"True, but Laura's never suffered from bad parenting - aside from that period where Logan was abroad with me of course, for probably the wrong reasons - she doesn't suffer from the exact same problems as her dad." Bucky's smile dies down a bit, and he stirs his now lukewarm coffee.  
"She's always been loved dearly. Unlike him. He sees his kid self in you. Minus the brain, as you're obviously much smarter of a pipsqueak than he is." 

Bucky winks at him, gaining a huff and a slight blush from Tony, who wasn't used to people complimenting him in this kind of manner; at least not by somebody outside his family.  
Even in his family, it had mainly been mum and Jarvis who'd done that.  
Then, a thought hits him.

"Wait. You said you both, as in...me being here helps you too?"  
Bucky nods a bit, still smiling softly.

"I guess I've just always had a nag at being a big-brother or something, but caring for another person honestly helps me to feel easier about myself and... and what happened."  
He turns his gaze to the window again, watching the snowfall quietly for a moment.  
"I feel less helpless n' weak. Less.... useless."

There was shakiness to his voice now, and Tony half feared Bucky would start weeping, bit the man just takes in a deep breath and holds it in.   
Tony wasn't sure how to react right now; he wasn't used to being seen as something helpful. Of anything, he was usually the troublemaker that everybody told their daughters to stay away from.

But Tony knew Barnes well enough to know what the man had just told him was sincere. 

Once they were done with their sweet snack, the two head out, just sort of walking around the town. While the air was cool, there was no wind, so Tony didn't feel too cold right now. Plus, Barnes had made sure he wore extra warm clothes, just in case.

The town did not have that much to offer, not even a game-shop to check out.   
They'd stopped by at a local bar where Bucky chat with some of the locals, few of them questioning if Tony was his kid, to which he'd just told them he was 'babysitting' which had gotten a predictable annoyed glare from the young billionaire.

The brunet was currently chatting with an elderly male, while Tony drank his coke - despite insisting he was of age, the bartender had refused to give him any drinks with alcohol on it, curse the delayed beard growth - and sat there bored. 

His mind began to drift back towards what Bucky had told him about Logan, and given how protective the man was over his girl, it was hard for Tony to imagine he'd have done something like that to her. Apparently even good parents mess up sometimes, huh?

"I swear, if I don't get that damned thing fixed, my whole yard and house will be buried in snow by the end of this week, given the forecast!" The old man was currently ranting to Bucky about something regarding to his snowplow or so, and Tony glances at the two.

"I'm sure you can get anybody to help you clean that Stan; people of this town love you." Bucky comments with a laugh, and the old man huffs with a smirk.  
"I'd just be fine if somebody fixed my machine, but it seems nobody here is a mechanic. I may have to call in some help from out of town."  
Bucky hums at that.

After a moment of hesitation, Tony coughs, to gain their attention.

"So uh...about that snowplow...I might be able to fix it."  
Bucky looks at Tony with a surprised lift of eyebrow, but the old man just grins widely as he hears that.  
"If that is the case, I'd be delighted to have your help young man! I'm too old to shovel all that snow on my own."  
Bucky keeps looking at him with a questioning look, and Tony rolls his eyes.  
"Son of an inventor, remember? I can build and fix stuff too."

"Not that; why are you offering help all of a sudden? You were looking so bored just a second ago." Bucky asks, slightly amused.  
"Because I am bored!"

The brunet watches Tony quiet for a long time, making the younger male feel like he was being judged. Finally, Bucky smirks and nods at the old man.  
"I suppose I can lend Tony here for you for a bit. He's pretty brilliant anyway."  
Tony could not stop but feel kind of weird about that compliment; he appreciated it, but wasn't used to it.   
Then again...Barnes had been nothing but supportive and sincere with him so far, so honestly such a compliment should not have been that surprising. 

"Shall we head out then?" The old man asks, getting up far too easily and quickly than should be possible for the man of his age.   
Tony glances outside, not fond of the idea of stepping into the cold again, but honestly, it had been a while since he'd tinkered with something.  
"Yeah, let's go." 

It turns out Stan's house was pretty big.  
It was no wonder he wanted his snowplow fixed; the house was basically a mansion.  
"Is he some rich guy too?" Tony asks from Bucky, who hums a bit.  
"He used to make comics."  
Tony did not know what to say to that, so he leaves it be.

The snowplowing machine, as it turns out, was pretty old, but the old man had a lot of tools and part in his disposal. Tony did not find the task too hard, and it was fun to tinker with something after such a long time.

The minus side was that he was soon covered in soot and grease, and Bucky actually laughed a bit as he ended up having the black stuff smeared across his forehead as he brushed over it without thinking. Tony shoots him a glare and then tells the man to hand him the wrench next to him.   
"Your young friend is indeed brilliant." The old man comments with a chuckle as they watch Tony work.  
"Yeah, he's a genius after all."

Tony huffs, rolling his eyes but doesn't take his attention away from what he was doing.  
"I meant it sincerely." 

Bucky sighs after a moment of awkward silence, and Tony bites his lip, now feeling bad. He was more used to having people call him that sarcastically, so his mind had automatically assumed that's what it was now, even though he should know Barnes better by now.   
"Boy not used to compliments?"

Bucky just nods at the old man's question.   
The man hums, shaking his head.

"What a pity."

Eventually, Tony gets the damn old piece of junk working again, and Stan thanks them with a cup of hot chocolate for both, and waves them goodbye as the two start heading back towards the spot Bucky had left his motorcycle in. The snowfall was slowly getting worse, and the two walk in silence. The young man keeps glancing at his companion, noting that Bucky's lips were in a tight line. 

Oh God, it felt like he'd really screwed up again with his involuntary reaction.  
"I'm sorry. It was a reflex." Tony blurts out without thinking, and Bucky glances at him with lift eyebrow.  
"I mean...it’s true, I'm not used to it, but I should have known by now you meant it sincerely, I just..."

Bucky sighs and stops on his tracks, hands in his pockets as he turns to look at Tony with a serious frown. It sort of felt like Tony was being stared down by his pops again, except that it somehow felt worse now, because Barnes' opinion mattered to him in a whole new way.  
"....You gotta start trusting yourself more." Bucky finally sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
Tony just nods, knowing he was right; it just wasn't that easy. 

They eventually reach the bike, and after a bit of struggle thanks to the cold air, Bucky manages to start it and they drive back towards his cabin. Once there, Tony watches the way Bucky shoves his clothes aside almost irritated, and felt his guilt worsen.   
His involuntary reaction had really pissed Barnes off it seems.

"Really, I..."  
"It's not you." Bucky blurts out suddenly, rubbing his eyes and cursing under his breath.  
That's when Tony notices the way he was shaking.

Oh.  
Barnes was having one of those moments again.

Of course, he’d JUST told Tony that he’d be having bad days.  
Wow, so much for a young genius, the boy felt like slapping himself now for being so stupid and thinking that it was his fault again.   
"....Should I do something?"  
"Be quiet for a moment okay?"

Tony snaps his mouth shut and just shuffles cautiously to his laptop, glancing at Barnes who currently leaned against the windowsill, pressing his forehead against the cool window glass.

Guilt still panged stubbornly in his chest; even if it wasn’t his reaction to Bucky’s compliment, perhaps making Bucky talk about Logan like that triggered him?

After a moment of tense silence, Tony opens his laptop and checks if he has gotten any messages during their absence. Apparently, he'd missed a call from Jarvis; it had come half an hour ago. Tony glances at the clock; it was five thirty. 

He glances at Barnes again, who'd shifted away from the window and walked outside for a bit. Tony had a feeling Bucky had done things like this before. In general, outdoors and walks seemed to be his way of soothing his mind. 

It takes a while, but eventually the call connects, and there's a clear sign of relief in the butler's eyes as he sees Tony.

"Oh thank goodness; I was concerned that something had happened."

"We just went for a walk in town."

Jarvis was understandably surprised.  
"Walk? Outdoors in this weather? Good grief child, what did he do to you?"

"Made me take better care of my health?"

Jarvis laughs a bit, shaking his head. He then asks Tony about the trip, and the young billionaire proceeds to describe the day, surprised how enthusiastic he was recalling it, up to the point Barnes had seemingly gotten one of his sulky face moments.

Even Jarvis seems to notice this, as he gives Tony a soft smile.

"This was a good idea; you honestly sound the happiest you've been since age of thirteen."

"Oh come on; I've had plenty of fun in parties before this."

"Not this genuinely and without alcohol."

Tony grimaces at that, Jarvis had a point.

"I don't know....I guess the old saying 'change of pace' can really be good for you or something." Tony comments with a shrug, not really knowing what else to say. 

"Certainly. Where is Mr. Barnes now? I don't see him..."

Guilt flashes in Tony's eyes, and Jarvis gives him a concerned look.

"He went for a walk; something triggered him I guess. He says it wasn't my fault, but..."

Jarvis hums and nods, understanding. Tony was very likely to take the burden of a lot of things if he felt even remotely responsible for it. 

"I don't believe that. Based on what you described to me - and what I heard from Rogers - he seems to be enjoying your company as much as you enjoy his." 

Tony wanted to take Jarvis' word for it, but he was a doubter by nature.

After few more moments of casual talking, Jarvis has to end the call to attend something.

"It should not be too long anymore; the lawyer and detective we have working with us is good."   
Jarvis reassures the young man, who just shrugs. It was not like he was suffering majorly staying in this place.

In fact, it felt almost a relief, a break from the mess that was his chaotic life.  
As Tony glances outside after closing his laptop, he notes that the snowfall was heavy now. As time ticked by, the young man began to grow worried. It had to be freezing outside, and in that weather...

He stands up and looks out from the windows, barely able to make out the yard. He could not see Barnes anywhere. The man was pretty cold resistant, but this was ridiculous. After a moment of hesitation, Tony throws on his outdoor clothes again, and heads in the snowfall to try and find where Bucky had gone. 

He searched around the yard and the barn, but could not see the older male anywhere. He could not even make out the shoeprints on the snow anymore, as fresh snow had covered them. Tony takes a deep breath and tries to reason with himself.

Barnes was a grown man, surely he could handle himself.   
Still, Tony could not stop but feel a little worried right now. 

He glances around once more, noting that Barnes indeed was nowhere near the cabin. His bike was still standing there where they'd left it, now covered in snow.

Tony glances ahead, to the road. Perhaps he'd just gone for a longer walk than usual?

Except....Tony could still recall the clothing he'd worn, not suitable for this bitter cold. He had a feeling Barnes should have had to come back already, driven to the warmth of his cabin by the chilly wind. 

Maybe he was just being paranoid, but….

Without a second thought, he starts to head down the road, not really knowing where he was going exactly. Tony starts climbing up the hill, wind picking up speed and throwing ice and snow on his face, making it difficult to see ahead. 

Jesus the weather was bad.  
Tony hugged his jacket tighter around himself, shivering as he reached the top of the hill, looking around unsure. There was still no sign of Barnes, and for a moment Tony wonders if he should just abandon his search and go back to the cabin. 

Except, he spots something moving on the forest.

"Bucky?" Tony calls out unsure, stepping a bit closer to see what it was.  
That’s when a car suddenly appears, nearly running over Tony. The young man dodges to the side just in time to not get hit by it. He falls on his butt to the cold ground, feeling the sting in his muscles from the harsh drop. 

The car stops, and somebody steps out of it, walking towards the dark haired youngster still trying to scramble up from the ground. He lets out a yelp as the figure suddenly looms over him like a threatening shadow, but then a familiar voice breaks through the howling wind.

”For fuck’s sake kid! Why are you walking out here in this weather?!”  
It was Logan.

Tony just blinks at him dully, shocked to see the man standing in the middle of the snowfall, glaring down at him almost angry. It was not the kind of anger Tony’s dad would have shown, it was more of concerned anger.

”I was trying to find Barnes.” Tony explains as he finally manages to scramble up from the ground, rubbing his hands together as they were freezing.  
”He can handle himself.”

”I know, it’s just...he left a while ago, and didn’t take proper winter clothes with him.”  
Logan turns quiet, and as Tony peeks towards the car, he could see a familiar girl peek her head from the passenger window.   
”How long ago was it?”

Tony did not like Logan’s tone; it sounded like he had a hunch of what was going on, and it was bad.

”Maybe hour or two ago. He left before Jarvis called me.”  
The old man curses under his breath, and nearly hauls Tony to his car.  
”First we gotta get you better clothes for this weather. Then we go look for him.”  
”What, what’s going on?”

The older male refuses to explain, just makes Tony sit on the back-seat and drives rest of the way home. He doesn’t even bother helping his girl or Tony out from the vehicle, just rushes in his cabin and grasps his phone. Laura seemed to know what was up, as she was already searching for winter clothes, and handed Tony a pile too. They were a bit too big for him given they were Logan’s, but definitely warmer than what he had.

”What’s going on?”

Logan still doesn’t reply, as he spoke on the phone quietly.

”Daddy thinks your friend might have spaced out again.”  
”Huh?”  
Tony blinks, looking down at the girl beside him confused.

”Sometimes he does it; Mr. Barnes spaces out, and he might wander around aimlessly, not fully aware of where he is. At least that’s how papa describes it.”  
Okay, Tony had seen Bucky space out, and even without the wandering, if the man had done it in this weather....shit.

”I informed Charles, he’s gonna send some folk to search the forest area alongside us.”  
”Does this happen often with Barnes?” Tony asks uneasy, kind of intimidated by Logan’s intense focused glare.

”Sometimes. This case is worse because of the weather: he might have passed out somewhere from the cold.” 

With that, they head out to search the surrounding forest.  
Tony could not tell exactly how far Bucky could have gone, and then he recalls the moving figure he’d seen before Logan nearly hit Tony with his car. 

”There was something moving around the spot you nearly ran me over in.”  
Logan just nods, not commenting on the fact that yes, he nearly did kill Tony or at least injure him. Then again, they had more important things to worry about.  
The group heads towards the spot, and Tony points towards the forest where he’d seen the figure at. Once they reach the spot however, there was nothing there.   
”Might have just been a squirrel or something.” Logan mutters, face in a deep frown as he looks around. Then, Laura’s voice suddenly breaks the silence, and she points somewhere.

Sure enough, there were footprints on the snow. Faint, already covered by the fresh layer of white, but you could still see them. Without a word, the group starts following the trail, and Tony prays in his head they would not be too late. 

”Normally when he’d do this, he would not go this far off his cabin.” Logan comments, though it sounded almost like a question. As if he was confused about the turn of events.  
”Maybe he got lost in the snowfall?”

”What I mean, kid, is that he would’ve snapped out of it sooner. Maybe the cold is slowing his brain or something.”

It was a tiny bit of dark humor in this sore situation. Normally Tony enjoyed that kind of morbid jokes, but right now he was too terrified for Bucky.  
After a while, the footprints disappear under the snow completely, leaving them clueless.  
That did not matter however, as Laura spots something again, and points at a small trench nearby. 

As the two reach it, Tony’s gut twists in horror.  
It was Barnes, and he was unconscious, his face pale and frost-bitten.

Logan quickly jumps down and checks for his pulse, while Tony stands there, paralyzed.  
”He’s alive, but we gotta get him outta here fast.”

As if by cue, a loud sound suddenly appears nearby, and as they look up, the group spots a helicopter hovering above.  
Logan seems to know who the pilot was, and waves a signal at them.   
He then grabs his coat and wraps it around Barnes as extra warmth, before grasping the limp body and carrying him out of the trench, nodding towards the road they could still see from between the trees.

”They’ll land there. We better haul Barnes to the helicopter to get him into a hospital and fast.”  
Tony just nods, his face almost as pale as Bucky’s.   
Laura grasps Tony’s shoulder and shakes him lightly, giving him a stern look, which was impressive coming from a girl of her age.  
”Pull yourself together. Your friend needs help.”

Tony shakes his head and quickly recollects himself, following Logan towards the road, and the lights of the helicopter alongside Laura.   
He prayed in his head that Bucky would be alright.

 

The pilot - his name was Scott or something if Tony recalled right - brought them to what seemed to be a private hospital, owned by the landowner Charles Xavier. Bucky was instantly rushed to intensive care, leaving Tony sit there in the waiting room, twiddling his thumbs. The old man was again on the phone, and Tony had a hunch he knew whom the man was calling.

Soon enough, not even a hour later, Steve appeared through the doors, looking distraught.  
”Please tell me he’s okay!”

”He’s alive, I can tell you that much.” Logan grunts simply, rubbing his eyes.  
”What the hell happened?”

The old man just nods towards Tony, who instantly feels like he’s done something wrong as Steve looks at him with a frown.  
”The kid said he went for a walk, but did not come back so he headed out to look.”  
The blond man nods after a moment, and walks to Tony, who suddenly found the floor extremely interesting.  
”Tony, are you okay?”

The younger male looks up, not even hiding his surprise. Steve’s best friend was in bad shape, perhaps in the brink of death, and it was probably Tony’s fault for triggering him....  
”Whatever you are thinking, this isn’t your fault.” Steve comments gently as he sits beside Tony, squeezing his shoulder.  
”But I...he would’ve never gone out in that weather if I hadn’t pissed him off...”

”What did you do, then? From my experience Bucky is hard to anger.”

”I...he was genuinely trying to encourage me, and I was being doubtful about his intentions.”  
Steve remains quiet for a moment, and then sighs.

”He probably wasn’t mad at you. Sure, Buck might have felt frustrated that you still don’t fully trust him, but he’d never get angry over something like that. Not when he understands why you think the way you do.”

Tony says nothing to that; he just turns his gaze back to the floor.  
After a moment, a red haired woman enters the room, looking rather serious.

”How’s the kid, Jean?” Logan asks, and Laura was also looking at the lady with an equal frown. It was almost comical, how similar expressions the father-daughter duo had.  
”He’s stable. It seems he may have slipped while walking and hit his head, which knocked him out. You got lucky. Perhaps a minute longer and he would’ve frozen to death.”  
Tony wants to breathe a sigh of relief, but hearing how much of a close call this was...

”But he’ll be okay, right?” Steve asks his voice tight. The man was probably thinking along the same lines as Tony.  
”He should. But we’ll have to monitor his condition for few days.”

The woman pauses, and then looks at Logan.  
”I assume, since you mentioned this young man was under Barnes’ care, that he can stay with you for now.”

”Yeah, wouldn’t wanna leave him by himself with that beehive for a head.”  
Tony looks at the old man uneasily. Sure, he...respected Logan and all, but the man was still really intimidating. As if sensing that, Steve pipes in.

”No need, I can go and stay with Tony in Bucky’s cabin for a bit. I’m currently off-duty anyway.”  
Tony just glances at Steve thankfully. He legit had nothing against Logan - it was the opposite - but he really, really did not want to stay overnight in the Howlett family household.   
”Be my guess, Rogers. I figured you’d propose that, wanting to stay nearby your buddy anyway.”   
The old man gives Steve a wolfish grin, though it was weighed from the edges. He was clearly concerned as well.

Eventually, Tony and Steve were allowed to go and see Barnes.

He was still pale, hooked to Iv-machine and wearing a white hospital gown, but at least he was breathing evenly. His frostbites had been tended and bandaged too.

Steve doesn’t say a word, just walks beside Bucky’s bed and grasps his tattooed hand, holding it for a moment. Tony could now tell how badly shaken the usually calm and stoic man was. The big shoulders shook, and Steve was swallowing hardly to bite back tears.

”You know...back when he was trapped behind enemy lines, I didn’t sleep well at night. Kept thinking how I’m gonna cope with not having him around.” 

Tony remains quiet, just sits down at the opposite side of the bed, on a chair provided.  
”I saw nightmares of what they could possibly be doing to him, and I kept blaming myself. Then when he and Logan did come back....I thought the worst was over.”  
”But it wasn’t?”

Steve just nods, squeezing the hand he held.   
”Physical wounds can heal. Mental scars are much more difficult to deal with. Some never heal; we just learn to live with them.”

Tony could not stop but imagine that was something Barnes would’ve said too.   
These two were so alike it almost made Tony laugh hysterically. He didn’t though, knowing how inappropriate it would be right now. 

”It was hard, seeing how he shut us out the way he did. I thought... giving him space would help. And yeah, letting him clear his head did help a lot, but now...”  
Tony could tell where this was going. He was apparently suffering from the same guilt complex Tony did right now. So, the younger male decided to repeat the man’s message from earlier.

”To quote a man I know; it’s not your fault. Nobody would have guessed stuff like this would happen. Even Logan was surprised to see Barnes wandering around in this weather, and he said he’s seen this happen before.”

Steve suddenly snaps his gaze up at Tony, looking strangely surprised.  
”What do you mean this has happened before?”  
Tony was confused. So Steve didn’t know?

”Yeah. The old man said that Bucky had gone and wandered off in a trance state before, but he never really went this far away from his home.”  
Tony’s words clearly alarmed Steve, and he looks back down at Bucky, his face quite not knowing what to do with itself. 

”Before you bitch at me, Barnes asked me not to tell you.” Logan grunts as he steps in, gaining an angry glare from Steve.  
”Something that serious should’ve at least been reported to his psychologist!”  
”We did; you ain’t his shrink, Rogers!”

Steve snaps his mouth shut, knowing he could not exactly argue against that point. 

”Look. It sounds worse than it is. It was more along the lines of him sinking deep into his thoughts and not being aware of his surroundings. The only reason this time went down to shit is because he slipped and hit his head.”

”But...you also said he’d never wander this far from his cabin.” Tony slips out before he could stop himself. Informing Steve of this detail did not help the situation at all.  
As expected, the frown on Rogers’ face deepens, as he looks at the younger male, and then back at Logan.

”Yeah... well, that was unusual, gotta admit.” The old man mumbles sheepishly.   
Steve remains quiet for a moment, gazing at the sleeping figure on the bed wordlessly.  
Finally though, he breaks the tense silence in the room again.

”The only way to truly figure out what happened, is to ask him once he wakes up I suppose.”  
Yeah, Tony had to agree with that. 

 

It had been three days, and Bucky still hadn’t woken up.   
While they waited, Steve had briefed Tony on the situation at home a bit more.  
”The lawyer/detective we’ve been working with has uncovered a lot of incriminating evidence against Obadiah, linking him potentially to the bombing.”  
”So why don’t you guys just arrest him already?”

”It’s a potential link; we still don’t have enough evidence. Also, the time is ticking. I know you hate the idea, but...You’ll have to make a public statement about what you are going to do with the company soon.” 

Tony snorts at that. Sure, he did not want it in the hands of somebody like Stane, but he did not want to keep it either.  
”Thing is Tony.... your dad wrote into his will that you’d inherit it once he dies.”  
Tony’s eyebrows shoot in his hairline. Sure, there had always been an assumption that Tony would indeed do that, but the fact it was on the old man’s will....  
”People, including the investors are apparently getting restless.” Steve sighs and rubs his eyes. He did not like putting Tony in this position, but Rhodey had told him to inform the young man about everything that was going on. 

”Obadiah is trying to push things forward, so that he can override your dad’s decision in his will. He’s been claiming that you are too emotionally unstable to handle the company.”  
Yeah, that was true, but the same time, Tony knew giving the reins to Stane was not an option.  
”.....fine, I’ll do a press conference. After Barnes wakes up.”

Steve lifts eyebrow at that.

”I just...wanna make sure he’s okay, before I like, move out of here back into the whole media shit show.”  
The blond man hums, a light smile spreading to his lips.  
”I had a feeling you’d like Bucky.”

Tony almost wants to roll eyes at Steve; like he could read people that well.  
Then again, Tony could not deny that the man did in fact hit the mark.  
”Yeah. He’s kinda cool. Gets me free and yummy donuts.”

”Yes, that seems to be an important quality to have in order to get in your ’cool people’ list.”  
Steve teases the young man, who looks away and crosses his arms, grumbling. His cheeks were gaining color, as once again he felt like he was some sort of a kid Steve was making fun of. 

”Let’s hope Bucky wakes up soon then; I can only give you about a week before we need to move.”  
Steve’s tone was apologetic, he clearly did not want to put Tony in this position, but the man had no choice. 

 

While the two sat in the kitchen, a pair of eyes observed their discussion from outside, before speaking to a cellphone. He’d almost been spotted twice the first time observing the cabin as first the owner had nearly snuck up on him, and then the kid had gone to look for the older man he’d knocked out in panic.

It had been a potentially bad move, as he’d been strictly instructed to not engage with the owner as it could potentially cause even bigger of an investigation - the guy had some influential friends or something like that - but he’d left him no choice. The bastard had been lucky he’d been found by the freakishly scary neighbor of his before freezing to death.

The kid’s host aside, he really didn’t want to tango with the neighbor, so it was lucky the man and his kid had decided to stay behind wherever they’d brought the brunet.   
After few long beeps, the cellphone finally connects; the damned thing was slow due to the chilly air.

”Boss, the tip we got from those thugs was valid; we found the kid.”

 

Tony was alone in the cabin right now: Steve had gone out to buy them some food, and Tony had not felt like going with him, not in this weather. It was now snowing heavily almost every day, indicating that winter was eager to arrive and cover everything in white.

Not that Tony minded the pure scenery; he just did not like the cold.

Plus, going out there reminded him too much of the near-frozen state they’d found Bucky in.  
He still couldn’t get that image off his head; the pale, wax like face, the frostbites on his skin, how cold he’d felt. It was a nightmare scene Tony would much rather forget. 

He was currently surfing trough Netflix to try and find something to watch, but his mind could not really focus on the screen. It was too quiet in the cabin now without having Bucky rustle around behind him, humming a song, or asking an occasional question from him.

It was as if the whole house knew its owner was in a bad state, and reflected upon it by feeling colder than usual. 

Tony sighs, and tugs the blanket tighter around himself, really hoping Steve would come back soon.

There was a bang at the door, and Tony looks up confused. Surely Steve had a key with him...  
Before he could react or think any further, the door is suddenly kicked open, and two men burst into the cabin. Tony could tell fairly quickly that he was in trouble, as he noted the men had guns on their belt. 

The scruffy looking one zeroes his gaze in on Tony, and marches there, tugging the boy off the couch.  
”You’re coming with us now, Stark.” He near growls the order out, and Tony tugs on the strong grip on him, trying to get away.  
Were these guys working for Stane? It was likely.

”I recommend not trying anything, kid. We got orders to get violent if necessary, and that extends to your army buddy who’s probably heading back right now.”   
Tony’s face pales and he stops struggling. Steve was strong, but these guys had guns.

The scruffy looking man gives him a wolfish grin.  
”Good boy.” 

”Rumlow, we better get going before Rogers returns.” The black, sleak-haired man comments calmly, and the guy holding Tony starts to drag him out of the door, into the cold air. Tony did not even have any socks on, so the ground was incredibly cold to walk on.  
”If you behave, boss might let you go once he’s done with his business.”

”So you work for Stane? How did you find me?” Tony questions out of a dare. He’s shoved towards the black car - such a bad guy cliché, he thought in his head - and the scruffy man chuckles with probably the coldest laugh he’d ever heard.

”You sure got the family smarts, kid; We got a tip from some half-drunk douche who’d gotten his ass handed to him by some guy who lived around here.”  
Some random…oh. 

It must have been those guys who came and wrecked Logan’s place; so the police hadn’t caught them yet? 

Tony glances around, trying to find a way out of this situation. He could try to sprint, but Logan was not around right now, and the town was too far away. Even if he tried to flee, these two were much stronger than him, and again had weapons.

He was wearing his pajama pants and a red hoodie with no socks on. Chances were his feet would freeze off before he made it far.   
So, Tony has no choice but to be forced to sit in the back seat, where the black haired nameless guy slips beside him, pointing a gun at the young man.  
”Don’t try anything.” He says simply, and Tony just nods, swallowing down hardly. 

He was hoping to see Steve’s car appear at any moment, but there was no sign of it as they started driving.   
Shit, this was bad. 

”We gotta get far away before they can start tracking him down.” Rumlow concludes as he glances at the young Stark from the rear-view mirror. The kid was pale, probably peeing his pants. Hell, he didn’t blame the kid for it, but job was a job. 

They drove up the hill, heading towards the town. There was no traffic on this road, which was understandable during this time of the year. Even if there was, there wasn’t much anything Tony could do; he could not signal to anyone he was in trouble with a gun pointed at his head.

”Where are you taking me?” He asks, unsure if it was a smart idea.

”Can’t tell you kid, just sit tight.” The man on the driver’s seat grunts, trying to navigate through the snowfall. It was clearly causing him trouble, and the car veered off course quite a bit at times in the slippery road. It gave Tony an idea, it was a risky one, but perhaps he could pull it off.

”You do realize this is just a waste of time for you? Stane will just get rid of you too once he’s done, as you guys know of his business.”

”Nice try kid, but I’ve worked for Stane for years.” Rumlow snorts, easily calling Tony’s bluff.  
”Then even more so; whatever info you guys have on him is gotta be damaging.”  
”Jesus, do Starks always have to be this chatty?” The man grunts, trying to focus on the road. 

Woah, so, he clearly was easy to annoy, Tony could definitely use that in his advantage.   
He just had to be careful of the stoic guy beside him. 

”You don’t like it when somebody tells you the truth, huh? Then again, with face like yours, it’s no wonder you’re touchy.”  
“I don’t need to look good for my job, kid.”

Tony glances at the guy beside him; he had not reacted to Tony’s taunts one bit, somehow seeming more professional than his “boss.”  
“Yeah, I doubt you’d GET any other job with that sad excuse of a face; maybe that’s why you keep licking Stane’s boots.”

The man breaks his gaze away from the road and turns to glare at Tony at the back-seat.  
”One more word and I’ll....”

”Rumlow, the road!” The other guy warns him, but it was already too late; they veered off course and by the time the man turned his attention back forward, they were already skidding away and heading towards a tree.

The following jolt was unpleasant, and both Tony and the man beside him were shoved against the front seats. Despite the ache in his limbs, Tony manages to unbuckle himself and force the back door open, sprinting away before the two men could gather their bearings. Not knowing what else to do, Tony began running bare-foot towards the town, praying that Steve would show up soon.

He could hear yelling behind him, as well as footsteps; one or both of the goons were running after him, and a second later, a gunshot scraped the ground on the spot he’d stepped on a second earlier.

Tony quickly sprints into the forest instead, hoping to lose the two from his trail. It was hard to do given how brightly his hoodie stood out from the white surrounding. Without thinking it through properly, Tony sheds off his red garment, leaving on only his white undershirt.

Shit, it was cold, but now he was hard to spot, and the snowfall further made it hard for them to follow him, as his footsteps were being erased.  
If Tony would just make it to the town, he would find warmth, and people.  
It was so cold, but the young man ignored it, his entire mind focusing solely on surviving right now. 

Another gunshot rang in the air, but it did not land anywhere near Tony. He had to get to safety before those guys would catch him; it was clear they wanted him dead now.

After running for what felt like hours, Tony had to stop to catch his breath, regretting it as he instantly felt cold. The young man leans against a tree, hugging himself and rubbing his arms to try and stay warm. This was an extremely bad idea. 

Suddenly, there were footsteps rustling nearby, and Tony quickly dives into a nearby bush, his heart beating like he was running a marathon. 

A figure appears to the area ahead, it was the sleek-haired bastard, and he was holding his gun ready, scanning the surroundings like some sort of predator looking for its next meal.

Tony had to admit, he’d never felt so fucking scared in his life.

He watches tensely as the man paces around, even glancing towards the bush Tony was hiding, making the young man almost wet himself. Eventually though, the man moves further away, and Tony waits for ages before sneaking out from the bush, and heading to the opposite direction.   
After a while, the Stark kid abruptly realizes he was heading the wrong way; soon enough, he spots a familiar cabin ahead. It was Logan’s. 

Tony glances around, but could not see either man nearby, so he snuck to the cabin door, finding that the door was in fact open. They’d headed out to look for Bucky in such a rush that he’d forgotten to lock it, and Logan had not come back since.

Tony felt almost bad sneaking in like that, but he needed to get to somewhere safe - and warm - and Logan’s house was as good of an option as any.

Tony chooses not to flip the light-switch, feeling that if the guys came around, they would spot the lights shining from the windows.  
Tony rustles around, in search for a phone or something. If he could just call Steve, maybe everything would be okay in the end.  
Tony almost lets out a joyous shriek as he spots a cellphone on the kitchen counter, quickly grabbing it and dialing Steve’s number while remaining low, away from the view from windows.

”C’mon Steve, pick up.” The young man mumbles, looking outside nervously. He still could not see his pursuers, but it was likely they’d circle back and check this area too.  
The phone rang quite a few times, before it finally connected.

”Steve, thank god!”

”Tony? Why are you calling from Logan’s number?”

So the man had it huh? It made sense; given the guy was a neighbor to Steve’s best friend.  
That did not matter right now, though.

”I’m in Logan’s house! Two gunmen suddenly appeared to the cabin and tried to kidnap me; I managed to make them crash their car and run back here, but they’re out there looking for me!”

”Slow down Tony, I cannot quite follow what you’re saying.” Steve says with a concerned voice, but before Tony could reply, the front door for Logan’s cabin bust open, and Tony quickly hid behind the counter, as Rumlow stepped in, his gun ready.

"We know you are in here kid; we saw the footprints on the snow at the door."

Tony remains quiet, just backs away crouching towards the bedroom of the small home. Perhaps he could leap out from the window there and sprint.  
”Rollins is outside in the back waiting for you, so don’t bother trying to flee again.”  
Rumlow comments, probably guessing what Tony was thinking.

He keeps backing away to the bedroom, not responding to Steve’s concerned questions he kept asking still on the phone.  
”Come on out; we can still make trough this without putting a bullet in your brain.”

Tony reaches the bedroom doorway, and quickly sprints to hide in the closet, not knowing what else to do. He manages to curl up into the darkest corner of it just as the scruffy man enters the bedroom.

Tony’s heart was beating so fast now that he feared it would just leap out of his chest.

The man slowly walks around the bed, glancing under it on the way, and Tony soon realizes hiding in the closet was a dumb idea; it was the most obvious hiding spot ever.  
As if confirm this, the man suddenly smirks and walks towards the closet door, grasping its handle to open it.

Before he could however, there was some commotion outside, and the man looks up with a frown, before heading out to go and check what was going on.  
Tony listens to his own thundering heartbeat for few more seconds, before sneaking out and peeking from the bedroom door.  
The front door was still wide open, and Tony could now hear commotion outside.

A gunshot rang in the air, and Tony ducks in fear, before realizing it was not shot towards him, but something at the outside. His phone had shut down in the closet, running out of battery, but Tony did not have time to think about the worried Steve probably driving back towards the cabin frantic now.  
He hears some yelling and noises of a fight from outside, before another gunshot is heard, with a following sound of something hitting the ground.  
A figure appears on the doorway suddenly, leaning heavily against the frame as if the person was injured. 

Tony freezes at first, heart sinking in fear.  
Then a familiar voice breaks the silence.

”Tony? You in here?”

Without even thinking, the young billionaire sprints up and nearly tackle-hugs the brunet figure standing on the doorway, hugging Barnes tightly while the terrified tears finally break out, and he sobs pitifully against the man’s jacket.

”Hey, chill, you’re okay.” Bucky comments softly, petting his hair gently, before glancing back outside as somebody called his name.

Looking out too, Tony soon realizes that Bucky wasn’t alone.

Logan was standing on the yard too, alongside at least three more people he’d seen at that private hospital. There was a larger car too, probably the one they’d arrived in, and Laura was still sitting inside, looking out curiously.

Tony’s pursuers were on the ground, held by the biggest fucking guy Tony had ever seen.  
”This is Piotr, or Peter if it rolls of your tongue easier.” Logan introduces the big hulking guy, who just smiles at Tony.   
Guy had a relatively gentle smile for a guy his size. 

”Wha.. why...how?”

”Barnes woke up this morning; he informed us that he’d spotted some suspicious activity near his villa and went to investigate when he was knocked out.”  
The red haired woman - Jean if Tony recalled right - explained him calmly. 

The third guy was the guy with sunglasses - it was weird, seeing that in this weather - and he was currently talking on the phone, seemingly to the police.  
”I’m sorry Tony, if we’d made it out here sooner...”

Tony just shakes his head, cutting Bucky’s apology short, and just squeezes the man tight.  
”I’m the one who should be sorry...it’s my fault you got hurt in the first place.”

”Nonsense.” Bucky scolds him, hugging the still trembling youngster tightly. 

”But it is! Those guys would not have showed up here if you hadn’t taken me in...”  
”Even so, I made the knowing choice to let you in my life.” Bucky reminds him gently.  
For a moment Tony remains quiet, just enjoying the warmth of being hugged like that after his ordeal, and then he remembers something.   
”I called Steve...phone ran out of power before I could explain everything.”

Bucky hums at that, and digs out his own cellphone.  
”Then I better call him before he freaks out too bad.”

 

Once Steve arrived, Tony was still in Logan’s cabin, a thick blanket wrapped around him and a hot chocolate mug in hand. Jean and the weirdo with sunglasses were currently addressing the police about the two intruders, who were currently sitting at the backseat of the police car, their weapons confiscated. 

The big guy - Pietro, Pedro, whatever his name was - was currently leaning against the doorway, keeping an eye on the two scroundles just in case.  
Steve had listened to their story with a deep frown in his face, unable to stay completely still.

Once the group had arrived in Logan’s house, they’d spotted a suspicious figure lurking outside, so they’d stopped and confronted the man, who’d pulled a gun on them. Before he’d managed to shoot anybody however, Logan had wrestled the gun off his hand and knocked the man to the floor. That’s when his scruffy companion had busted out from the door, attempting to shoot Logan, but he’d been punched in the jaw by Bucky, who’d managed to put quite a lot of strength behind it despite his weakened state. 

The big guy had then finished the job by keeping the two on the ground easily, until the police arrived.

The apparent injury Bucky had, was just exhaustion over having to do such physical feat so soon after waking up. Tony was glad nobody got hurt during this, but he still felt like shit.

”Well, the good thing is now we got clear evidence against Stane; those guys are known to be linked to him.” Steve concludes after pacing around quietly for a moment.  
”But is that enough? I doubt they will rat their boss out.” Bucky comments his hand still rubbing Tony’s back gently. It was really comforting, in this protective big brother way.  
”Don’t worry Bucky; this was really just the last thing we needed to figure this out. Matt will be quite pleased to hear about this development - not of the fact Tony got hurt, but the fact we now have the smoking gun.”

Tony had no clue just who the heck this Matt was, but he assumed it was the lawyer investigator they’d been working with.  
”So does this mean I can go home soon?” He asks after a moment of hesitation, and all eyes are on him now. 

”If you want to. With this latest bit of evidence against Stane, I doubt he’ll bother trying to off you anymore.” Steve comments after a moment of silence, and Tony felt surprisingly reluctant to leave.

”Not right away of course; I believe you need to first get some good night sleep to recover from what happened.” Steve adds on with a light smile, and Tony glances at Bucky, who just shrugs, flashing a smirk at Tony.

”He still hasn’t done the maid stuff I was hoping.”

”Oh ha ha, very funny.” Tony grumbles at the man, but he honestly felt glad to see him back in the world of the living, instead of comatose in the bed.   
”We got lucky; had Barnes not woken up today, most likely those bastards would’ve offed Tony already.” Logan grunts, lighting a cigar for himself. 

The reality of his words sank in, and Tony began to shake a little, feeling panic raise in his throat again.  
Bucky quickly brings an arm around him and holds him closer, quietly reminding Tony to breathe.

”Shit, sorry.” The old man mutters as he realizes the reaction his words caused, but Tony shakes his head, forcing a smile once he’s calm enough again.

”No, it’s just the truth. I got lucky you guys came back.”  
After those words, Tony just closes his eyes and leans against the warmth beside him, cuddling up inside the blanket. He could hear the group discuss the events some more, but he paid no mind to it, eventually falling asleep out of exhaustion. 

Tony spent two more months in Barnes’ care, first two days just trying to gather himself and not be paranoid every time Bucky vanished from his sight. He’d also opted to sleep at the bedroom balcony next to Bucky’s bed, just to feel safer. 

The brunet had not minded one bit, understanding how badly the ordeal had affected the young man. He spent couple of nights just letting Tony bawl his eyes out in his lap, making sure the young man had all the emotional support he needed right now.  
He did not go for walks by himself anymore, knowing that Tony would get too scared being left alone, and they even went to the market together. For once, the younger male never complained of the weather or the cold.

 

Once the day to hold a press conference rolled by however, the young Stark had managed to gather his bearings enough to do what was needed. 

Stane had been arrested for the murder of Howard and Maria Stark, as well as attempted kidnapping and suspected murder attempt of Tony. He’d naturally tried to plead innocent, but there was a mountain of evidence against him. 

Tony had not gone to the hearing, not wanting to see the man’s face ever again, which was understandable. During this whole mess with Stane being suspected of foul play, and Tony being unable to claim his heritage, Jarvis had been dealing with company business alongside the help of Howard’s secretary, Pepper Potts. 

She was young, just few years older than Tony, and well organized, somebody who could definitely handle the situation. The young Stark had to admit, he’d developed a bit of a crush on her on their first meeting - which had ironically been during this month, and not earlier despite her working for the company for two years now. 

As Bucky had noticed Tony’s behavior around the woman, he’d teased him instantly about it, like a proper big brother. 

Yeah, that was probably the best way to describe the relationship he had with Barnes.   
Jarvis was more like a parent figure, Rhodey and Steve were both like mentoring friends; Bucky was the only guy who could be as childish as Tony, and yet not take himself too seriously, offering sound advice while not expecting Tony to necessarily follow it. 

”You can do it, just relax.” The aforementioned brunet encourages him, while he was being prepared for his first speech in front of the press. Rhodes, Jarvis and Steve were there too, all offering encouragement to the young man.

”In case you stumble over your words, just read the cards offered for you.” Pepper instructs him while straightening his tie.   
”I’m bad at reading stuff, I prefer to wing it.”

”So I’ve heard.” Pepper mutters with a sigh, but it was not one of those disappointed sighs his dad would make. 

”Just be your charming self and the crowd will love you.” Bucky tells him with a wink, and Tony could not stop but feel a bit more encouraged now. 

Yeah. What did he have to fear here? He’d always been good at putting on a show, and this room was full of people who supported him. 

From his beloved butler-slash-father-figure, to the attractive, admittedly neat and efficient secretary of his late pops, to Bucky. 

Tony could not stop but laugh inwardly at that last one.

It was like his mind did not need to explain Barnes any further to him, for his mind automatically associated that name with comfort, understanding and tasty donuts.  
And an insane resistance to cold, but that was for another day.

”Just so you know, Logan said he and Laura will be watching this too.” Bucky suddenly comments, and Tony looks at him with lift eyebrow.  
”They could not make it here, but expressed their support.” Steve comments with a smile.

It was so stupid, honestly; all Tony was doing was to inform the public that yes, he’d be taking the lead of his father’s company - with the assistance of Miss Potts, Jarvis and so on - but knowing that for once in his life, so many people backed him up...

Tony wipes his eyes, not wanting to tear up and ruin this by ugly crying, so he takes a deep breath and straightens himself, heading out to face the flashing lights and endless questions from the Media.

 

 

”My name is Tony Stark, and I believe we all know why we’re here - no, it’s not because of a leaked sex-tape or drunk driving incident, which admittedly sounds like something I would end up involved in.....”

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's a Tony oriented fic I began writing a while back.   
> I wanted to make something like this because I think Bucky and Tony could honestly be good friends, if they can move past the whole fiasco that happened, given they suffer from somewhat similar problems.
> 
> I make it easier for them in this one as It's an AU  
> Also, I had to throw Logan in there because he's honestly pretty good parent if he wants to be, and Tony needs that.


End file.
